Benjamin Blyth: Salem's 18th-Century Limner in a Time of Radical Upheaval

Nationally known, the pastel portraits of newly married John and Abigail Adams at the Massachusetts Historical Society are icons of early Federal history; yet accomplished and prolific as the artist was, Benjamin Blyth is largely unknown today, especially compared to his famous contemporary Gilbert Stuart. Other sitters painted or sketched by Blyth include the only known portraits of Dr. Ezekiel Hersey, whose bequest founded Harvard Medical School; Gen. Israel Putnam, hero of the Battle of B...