Lot 559: SAMUEL A. SHUTE (1803-1836), 1830-1835

A Pair of Portraits of a Lady and a Gentleman
watercolor on paper the gentleman; watercolor and gold leaf on paper the lady
27 x 20 1/4 in. (2)

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

Portrait Painting! Mr. And Mrs. Shute Would Inform the Ladies and Getntleman of Newport, N.H. that they have taken a room at Nettleton's Hotel, where they will remain for a short time. All who may employ them may rest assured that a correct likeness of the original will be obtained. If not the work may remain in our hands. Prices will be regulated, according to the size of the portrait. Call and examine the paintings. Price from five to ten dollars.

The above advertisement appeared in the New Hampshire Argus and Spectator, April 15 1833. Samuel Addison Shute (1803-1836) and Ruth Whittier Shute (1803-1882) were married in Somersworth, New Hampshire in 1827 and collaborated on likenesses throughout New England and New York for a short period of time until Samuel's death in 1836. Samuel attended Dartmouth College and was a physician.

While most of their portraits remain unsigned, few works bear the signataure "Painted by R.W. Shute and S.A. Shute." Some inscriptions on watercolors reveal the division of labor "Drawn by R.W. Shute and painted by S.A. Shute." In their collaborations, they experimented with different conventions and techniques but the end result was a dynamic and vibrant likeness as demonstrated by the couple shown here.

While prolific for a short while, their collaborative painting career was truncated by Samuel's death in 1836. Ruth continued to travel and paint. She remarried Alpha Tarbell in Concord, New Hampshire and moved with him to Lexington, Kentucky where she was known as a pianist and a painter.