Portrait of Dr. James W. Coburn

While the artist of this portrait is not known, several scholars in the field of American folk art consider this painting one of the finest likenesses to have come from the state of Kentucky. The sitter is James W. Coburn who was born in Lexington in 1789; practiced medicine in Washington, Germantown, and Maysville, Kentucky; and died in Newport, Kentucky, in 1850. Posed with his left arm awkwardly bent over a chair back and his hand holding a flute, Coburn is the image of a prosperous gentleman who valued the arts. Portraits created during the early years of American history are documents of both the sitter’s appearance and the taste of society.