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Portrait
Artist: Simon Gagne, MGH Paint Shop, 1975, from a painting by Mather Brown, 1786
Date Created: 1975
MGH Department Affiliation: Archives
Bulfinch, Charles
Catalog Number: 116
Oil painting, 31" x 26" with frame, copy of original by Mather Brown
Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844), who was born in Boston and educated at Harvard, was also the first American-born professional architect. When Bulfinch visited Europe from 1785-1787, he was influenced by the classical architecture in Italy and the neoclassical architecture in England. From these elements he evolved the distinctive Federal style, known for classical domes, columns, and precise ornaments, that dominated early 19th-century American architecture. In 1818, Bulfinch designed the Bulfinch Building of the MGH. Two of Bulfinch's other major accomplishments include designing the Massachusetts State House in 1798, and the completion of the U.S. Capitol in 1830.
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