Lot 112: American School (early 19th Century)

A Naval Officer, believed to be Captain David Porter (1780-1843), wearing naval uniform with gold braiding and epaulette
gold frame
Oval, 36mm. (1 3/8ins.) high

David Porter was born at Boston, Massachusetts, on 1 February 1780. He entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1798 and served in the Quasi-War with France and the Barbary Wars. He became a prisoner of war when USS Philadelphia was captured off Tripoli in October 1803. Following his release in 1805, Porter commanded USS Enterprise and later was in charge of naval forces at New Orleans, Louisiana.
During the War of 1812, Captain Porter was Commanding Officer of the frigate Essex during her wide-ranging assault on British shipping, a campaign that continued until Essex was overwhelmed by HMS Phoebe and Cherub at Valpariso, Chile, on 28 March 1814. Following the War, Porter was a member of the Board of Navy Commissioners and led an expedition to supress West Indies piracy in 1823-25. He resigned his commission in 1826 and spent three years as commander-in-chief of the Mexican navy. Porter died on 3 March 1843 while serving as U.S. Minister to Turkey.
The present lot shows a similar pose and uniform to an unattributed early 19th century portrait of Porter in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis. Another stipple engraving by David Edwin (after an original by Wood) also shows similarities with the present lot.