An Archival Mystery – Who Was This Man?
By Michele Lavoie, Director of Archives
In March 1945, Mrs. Laura M. Agassiz sent the Academy three portraits of members of the Agassiz family: her late husband, Maximilian (1866–1941); his father, Alexander (1835–1910; elected to the Academy in 1862); and his grandfather, Louis (1807–1873; elected a Foreign Honorary Member in 1846). Both elder Agassizes were active members of the Academy; Alexander served as president from 1894–1903. The Academy accessioned the portraits into its collections and put them on display in the Newbury Street headquarters, which the Agassiz family helped to build.
The portraits include little provenance information, such as artist or date of completion. As sometimes happens (more than stewards of such collections care to admit), the most basic information—the portrait subject—can become ambiguous with time and loss of context. For example, the gentleman in the painting shown here was originally identified as Louis Agassiz. However, the description in the curatorial record did not match the painting, nor did the subject resemble actual photographs of Louis Agassiz. Yet the record remained unchanged, and inaccurate, for several decades.
At some point, the record was changed and John Quincy Adams was identified as the subject. This too was a case of mistaken identity, as the likeness bears no resemblance to any known portrait of Adams. Nevertheless, the painting is labeled as “Portrait of John Quincy Adams” in an art appraisal from 2001. Later still, the conclusion was reached that this painting must be Maximilian Agassiz, but this too seems to be inaccurate: the date is estimated to be approximately mid-nineteenth century, judging by the style of painting and the subject’s attire, which would pre-date Maximilian’s lifespan.
So, if the subject isn’t Louis Agassiz, Maximilian Agassiz, or John Quincy Adams, then who was he? Unfortunately, the painting itself offers little clue as to his true identity, nor even that of the artist who painted him. There is no signature or any significant detail that would help to identify the sitter or the artist. No correspondence has been discovered to clarify the details.
For now, the identities of both sitter and artist remain a mystery. The catalog record for the piece has been updated to remove references to Louis Agassiz and John Quincy Adams. The Archives staff continue to search for answers, and welcome any assistance in that endeavor.