A painting by the Jamaican-born, 18th century artist, musician and botanist, Samuel Felsted was sold last week for US$80,000 in an auction of American furniture, folk and decorative arts at Freeman’s, the oldest United States auction house, which is based in Philadelphia.

A post on the website of the National Gallery of Jamaica, notes that it had made a bid within the auction house’s estimate of US$ 10-15,000 but was quickly outbid. The piece — a painting titled A North-East View of the House of Mr. Emanuel Lousada, Kingston, Jamaica (1778) — went to an as yet unidentified bidder on the floor.

Freeman’s noted that Felsted was born in Jamaica in 1743 and was a property owner by the age of 19, and baptised as an Anabaptist in 1763 at the age of 20. He married Maria Laurence, daughter of a plantation owner, in 1770, and they eventually had eight children. For most of his life, Felsted was the organist at St Andrew Parish Church in Half-Way-Tree, and is best known today as the composer of Jonah, the first complete oratorio written in the New World, which was published in London in 1775.

Felsted died in 1802.

The National Gallery of Jamaica further stated that the painting is of significant historical interest and the rather static composition is enlivened by an interesting detail, a horse and carriage scene with uniformed black driver and attendant, which more actively references the social dynamics of the 18th century than the depiction of the house in itself.

This work by Felsted was produced some 50 years before early proponents of Jamaican art — Belisario and Kidd. This commissioned painting and his efforts in the field of music also illustrate the early beginnings of professional art practice in Jamaica.

– Richard Johnson