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Thomas Waters Griffith, by Caleb Boyle, c. 1812. Oil on canvas. 30 5/64 x 24 61/64 in. (76.4 x 63.4 cm.) Maryland Historical Society, Accession: 1953-119-1.
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Thomas Everette, by Caleb Boyle, 1807. Oil on canvas. 29 51/64 x 23 13/16 in. (75.7 x 60.5 cm.) Maryland Historical Society, Accession: 1976-96-3.
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Medium/Discipline: Painting
Maryland Affiliation: Depicts Maryland subjects, Active while in residence
Prominent Theme: Portraits
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Biography: The artist Caleb Boyle lived in Maryland in 1807 and from 1810-14, based on his listing in the Baltimore directories for those years; he lived in Washington, D.C. in 1808-9, where he occupied the former studio of artist Gilbert Stuart. He also visited Washington in 1811, and painted in Frederick in 1814. While in Maryland, Boyle was commissioned to paint a portrait of Baltimore merchant Thomas Waters Griffith, who was the first Baltimore annalist and local historian who published in Annals of Baltimore, the principal source of early Baltimore history, in 1833.Prior to his Maryland stay, he lived in New York City where he worked as a coach painter and a coach and chair-maker. In 1801, he apparently turned to portrait painting since he exhibited a full-length portrait of Thomas Jefferson, and another of John Jay signing the Treaty of Paris, in that year. Boyle tried to sell the John Jay portrait to the Common Council of New York City, which the Council refused to do. They did, however, commission Boyle to do an additional Jay portrait. Unfortunately for the artist, however, the Council was displeased with the final product and refused to purchase it.
Art-related Employment: painter; coach painter
Other Employment: coach and chair-maker
Selected References: Pleasants, J. Hall. Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Painting in Maryland (Baltimore: Baltimore Museum of Art), 1945.
Maryland Institutions Holding Artworks: Maryland Historical Society
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