Payson Collection Lesson Plans
Joan Whitney Payson (1903-1975) had many interests, which she followed with great enthusiasm. She was a sports fan, a supporter of health care and medical science, and a patron of the arts. Her passion for art led her to create a wonderful personal collection which adorned her homes in New York, Florida, and Maine. Mrs. Payson's taste was discerning and varied. Although she favored Impressionist paintings, she also collected a range of works from 18-century portraits to mid-20th-century landscapes. She surrounded herself and her family with art that appealed to her personally—art that she enjoyed living with. It was from this collection that the works which are now at the Portland Museum were chosen. The Joan Whitney Payson Collection is regularly on loan to Colby College for one academic semester every two years. It should be noted that occasionally one or two of the works are traveling and are not on view for that semester.
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