Jarvis, John Wesley
Birth Date: 1780 Place: South Shields,England
Death Date: 1840 Place: New York, NY
Active in New Orleans: ca. 1820
Artistic Focus: painter, portraitist
Gender: male
Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Exhibition catalog(s):
Invitation(s), Gallery Publicity:
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Miscellaneous Other(s):
Death Date: 1840 Place: New York, NY
Active in New Orleans: ca. 1820
Artistic Focus: painter, portraitist
Gender: male
Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Contents of File
Newspaper/Periodical Clipping(s):Exhibition catalog(s):
Invitation(s), Gallery Publicity:
Photograph(s):
Correspondence:
Miscellaneous Other(s):
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Nephew of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, Jarvis was brought to the U.S. in ca. 1785. He remained in Philadelphia until 1801 when he moved to New York NY. In January of 1815 Jarvie and his assistant HENRY INMAN came to N.O. where Jarvis painted a portrait of Andrew Jackson. Beginning in 1816 Jarvis began to regularly spend most winters in N.O. while maintaining his base of operations in NYC. In late 1820, or early 1821 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON approached Jarvis in N.O. asking to be hired as a painting assistant, but Jarvis put him off, saying he would be of little use to him. By the time Jarvis came to N.O. he was already a successful portraitist and would soon be considered one of the best in the U.S. A prolofic artist who could paint six portraits a week, some of Jarvis' most important works are in the New York City Hall. Jarvis was a reckless man who was noted not only for his witty conversation, but also for his heavy drinking. In 1834 he suffered a stroke and was never able to return to N.O. NOCD 1822, 1830. D. Crescent, July 9, 1849; D. Delta, May 29, 1865; D. Pic., June 15, 1841, June 28, 30, 31, 1845, July 4, 1849; Item-Trib., July 17, 1938; La. Gazette, Dec. 20, 1821, Mar. 7, 1822. Adams, John James Audubon, 225-27; Alabama Portraits, 408; Am. Portrait Inventory, 144; Arthur, Old New Orleans, facing 32; Barker, American Painting, 271; Bénézit; Biographical Sketches of La. Governors, 85; Bolton, Draughtsmen, 37; Bolton and Groce, "Jarvis," 299-321; Boston Museum, Karolik Collection I:202-4; Bruns, ____; Bryan's CAB; Cline, Art and Artists, 6; DAB; Dixon, John Wesley JArvis American Painter; Edward Fenno Papers, E. Fenno to James Fenno, Dec. 27, 1820, May 5, 1821; Fielding, 479-80; Glenk, 39, 59, 61, 76, 144, 146; Groce and Wallace; Jackson, Artists in Silhouette, 119; James, Border Captain, 176; Kendall, History, 653; Kendall, "Houses", 800-801; Lipton, "Dunlap", 44; Looney, 384; La. Paintings of the 19th Century, item 29; LSM, Biennial Report for 1922-23, 29, 59; Murrell, Humor, 74, 76; Nott, "Jarvis," 28-29, 44; Rinhart, Am. Daguerreian Art, 122; Rutledge, "Paintings," 794-98; Tallent, 314; Thompson, La. Writers, 60; Toledano and Fulton, "Portrait Painting," 792-94; Transit Riders' Digest, Dec. 19, 1977; Wehle, Miniatures, 53-56, 90; WPA, "Lives"; WPA, Louisiana, 162; WPA, New Orleans, 98.