It might be the first time a separated couple got back together thanks to their great-great-great granddaughter. The attractive young couple is Benjamin and Maria Gratz, or more accurately their portraits, which were painted in 1831 by noted English-born Philadelphia artist Thomas Sully but somehow the portraits parted ways an unknown number of years ago.
Benjamin has been hanging for decades at the Rosenbach Museum & Library along with other members of the Gratz family, who were prominent in early Philadelphia's business and philanthropic worlds. The whereabouts of Maria's portrait had been unknown for years.
Thanks to an online blog, Maria's portrait has been located and the owner has since donated the painting to the Rosenbach Museum & Library. Maria and her husband Benjamin now are gazing affectionately at each other.
You can read the full story in an article by Joann Loviglio of the Associated Press at http://goo.gl/Rt4UH.
My thanks to W David Samuelsen for telling me about this story. It might be the first time a separated couple got back together thanks to their great- great-great granddaughter. The attractive young couple is Benjamin and Maria Gratz, or more accurately their portraits, which were painted in 1831 by noted English-born Philadelphia artist Thomas Sully but somehow the portraits parted ways an unknown number of years ago. Benjamin has been hanging for decades at the Rosenbach Museum & Library along with other members of the Gratz family, who were prominent in early Philadelphia's business and philanthropic worlds. The whereabouts of Maria's portrait had been unknown for years. Thanks to an online blog, Maria's portrait has been located and the owner has since donated the painting to the Rosenbach Museum & Library. Maria and her husband Benjamin now are gazing affectionately at each other. You can read the full story in an article by Joann Loviglio of the Associated Press at http://goo.gl/Rt4UH. My thanks to W David Samuelsen for telling me about this story.
