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College Finds, Restores Rare Portrait of Bishop John Emory

Click to enlarge
Portrait of John Emory, before and after restoration

Thursday, October 8, 2009
A rare portrait of the late Bishop John Emory, which dates back to the founding of Emory & Henry College, has been restored after being found two years ago in the attic of an historic campus building.

The portrait, which features the namesake of Emory & Henry and Emory University in Atlanta, is "one of a kind," since it is the only painting of the man done later in his life and still in existence, according to E&H archivist Robert Vejnar.

The oil painting, which is dated 1838, the year classes began at Emory & Henry, is the work of portrait artist George Cooke and was completed three years after Emory’s death. It is thought to be copied from a painting done by American artist Thomas Sully.

"Given the clothing that Emory is wearing, I would guess that he sat for the original portrait shortly after he was made a bishop in the Methodist Church in 1832," Vejnar said.

The portrait was discovered by an E&H housekeeper in the attic of the College's main administration building, Wiley Hall, during the building's recent renovation. It had been punctured and had suffered further damage from extreme hot and cold weather.

In 2008, the artwork was sent to the Richmond Conservation Studio in Richmond, Va., where it underwent a successful restoration. It will eventually hang in the house of the E&H president.

Vejnar describes the portrait as "breathtaking," both in terms of its quality and its historical significance to the United Methodist Church and the institutions named for its subject. "The founders of Emory & Henry College made an important financial sacrifice to have this portrait done. They obviously felt very strongly about the matter," Vejnar said.

Born in 1789 in Queen Anne's County, Md., Emory graduated from Washington College in Maryland in 1805. He passed the Maryland Bar three years later at the age of 19 and gave up law after a year to pursue the ministry.

Throughout his career, Emory was recognized as a gifted and talented preacher and writer in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He envisioned an American education that molded character as well as the mind.

He died at the age of 46 from injuries sustained in a carriage accident.

In addition to Bishop John Emory, Emory & Henry College was named for Patrick Henry, a renowned patriot of the American Revolution and Virginia's first governor. Bishop Emory symbolizes a belief in the union of faith and learning, while Gov. Henry represents the commitment to the ideals of freedom and civic virtue.

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