Joseph Badger (1708-1765)

Joseph Badger, the son of Stephen and Mary Kettell Badger, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, on March 14, 1707/08. The artist and his wife apparently moved to Boston in 1733, making their home near Brattle Church Square until 1763. It was probably there that Badger's abilities and interests in portrait painting were developed through contact with artists like John Smibert and Peter Pelham, who lived in the same general area, or Thomas Johnston, the early teacher of John Greenwood. Badger seems to have spent his entire career in this area of Boston, moving just two years before his death to a house and lot he purchased on Temple Street.

The best of Badger's portraits exhibit both charm and decorative interest, qualities that were important to aspiring eighteenth-century Americans. His use of color and the patterned effect sometimes created by the range and intensity of hues reinforced the visual impact of his work.