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Lexington, MA
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Portrait of Lydia Thornton Harris (1728-1821) by George Peter Healy; oil on canvas

Portrait

Lydia Thornton Harris was the maternal grandmother of the brothers William Harris Cary and Isaac Harris Cary. The Cary family’s connection with the town of Lexington is reflected in their legacy of support through Cary Memorial Library, Cary Memorial Hall, the Cary Lecture Series and the Cary Educational Fund.

George Peter Healy (1813-1894) was born in Boston, where he opened his own studio at the age of 18. He studied and worked in Paris, Chicago and Rome, where his highly realistic, academic style drew commissions and helped develop his reputation as one of the most prolific and popular portrait painters of his day, sometimes producing as many as 50 works a year. Some of his most famous portraits include those of notable figures such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry Clay, King Louis Philippe of France, and U.S. presidents from John Quincy Adams to Ulysses S. Grant. Although Healy’s style of painting eventually fell out of fashion in the early twentieth century, he remained an influential figure in the art world.

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