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William Matthew Prior (1806-1873)

Aliases: William Henry Prior

Professions: Painter

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    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (1806-1873), CIRCA 1840

    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (1806-1873), CIRCA 1840

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    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (1806-1873). FULL-LENGTH PORTRAIT OF YOUNG BOY WITH BLUE-GREEN WAGON AND COWRIE SHELL, 1849.

    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (1806-1873). FULL-LENGTH PORTRAIT OF YOUNG BOY WITH BLUE-GREEN WAGON AND COWRIE SHELL, 1849.

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    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (1806-1873)

    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (1806-1873)

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    Portrait of a Girl in a Green Dress

    Portrait of a Girl in a Green Dress

William Matthew Prior Biography

(b Bath, ME, 1806; d Boston, 1873) American Painter. William Prior is most well known for his portraits, though he did also execute some landscapes and experimented with painting on glass. In the early years of his career he traveled from town to town around New England in search of commissions; often compensated only with room and board. He specialized in stylized, flat portraits, especially of children. Though he was capable of more naturalistic, painterly works, most of his paintings are done in this abstract and flattened style because they could be executed more quickly and thus offered to patrons at lower cost. He advertised in the "Maine Inquirer" in 1831 that "persons who wished a flat picture can have a likeness whithout shade or shadow at one-quarter price". It is believed that Prior would often travel with partially completed templates onto which he would then add the sitter’s likeness and some identifying attributes. In 1841 Prior settled permanently in Boston, where he remained to the end of his very successful career.

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William Matthew Prior at Auction Now

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  • Attributed to William Matthew Prior (American, 1806-1873) Folk Art Portrait of Enoch Adams Pettingell. Unsigned, the subject identified, William Matthew Prior, $0 View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    Attributed to William Matthew Prior (American, 1806-1873) Folk Art Portrait of Enoch Adams Pettingell. Unsigned, the subject identified

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William Matthew Prior Sold at AuctionView all William Matthew Prior Sold at Auction

  • William Matthew Prior 1806-1873 YOUNG GIRL WITH FLOWERS, William Matthew Prior, Click for value View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    William Matthew Prior 1806-1873 YOUNG GIRL WITH FLOWERS

  • SCHOOL OF WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (American, William Matthew Prior, Click for value View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    SCHOOL OF WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR (American

  • William Matthew Prior (Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts, 1806-1873), William Matthew Prior, Click for value View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    William Matthew Prior (Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts, 1806-1873)

  • WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR, William Matthew Prior, Click for value View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR

  • William Matthew Prior (American, 1806-1873), William Matthew Prior, Click for value View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    William Matthew Prior (American, 1806-1873)

  • attributed to William Matthew Prior (1806-1873), portrait of a young girl in a red dress, holding a book, unsigned, oil on paper board,, William Matthew Prior, Click for value View Details

    William Matthew Prior

    attributed to William Matthew Prior (1806-1873), portrait of a young girl in a red dress, holding a book, unsigned, oil on paper board,

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