Note from the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders, by David H. Fox (Richmond, Va., Organ Historical Society, 1991). —

Born 1692 in Folkärna Dalarne, Sweden; organ [and piano?] builder, portrait painter. Died May 1755; buried May 25, 1755, Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Hesselius had studied art in Sweden and probably in England. He came to Wilmington, Delaware in 1711 together with his elder brother Andreas Hesselius (1677-1733). His brother had been appointed to become parish priest of Holy Trinity Church, the Swedish Lutheran parish at Fort Christina.

He lived in Delaware until 1717, then moved to Philadelphia where he lived until 1721. In 1721, he moved to Prince George's County, Maryland and became a portrait painter. That same year, he received the first recorded public art commission in the American colonies; he painted The Last Supper. He also painted a Crucifixion. Some time around 1735, Hesselius returned to Philadelphia where he spent the rest of his life. After building an organ for the Moravian Church in Bethlehem in 1746, he focused on building organs with the assistance of John Clemm (1690–1762). He referred painting commissions to his son John.

Sources:

• Barbara J. Owen and Thomas Cunningham, "New Revised Builders List", The Tracker 9:2 (Richmond, Va. Organ Historical Society, 1964), 11.


• Albert F. Robinson, "A Reply to Kenneth Simmons: Hesselius Did!", The Tracker, 24:1 (Richmond, Va. Organ Historical Society, 1979), 18.


• "Maryland ArtSource - Artists - Gustavus Hesselius". The Baltimore Art Research & Outreach Consortium. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-09.