Eleanor Wyer Foster (Mrs. Isaac Foster)
1755
Medium
oil on bed ticking
Dimensions
overall: 91.7 x 71.2 cm (36 1/8 x 28 1/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Accession Number
1957.11.2
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of colonial New England with Joseph Badger's portrait *Eleanor Wyer FosterMrs. Isaac Foster)* painted in 1755 Badger, a self-taughtner from Massachusetts, captured the poised likeness of this woman from Boston's merchant class during a time when portraits served as cherished family heirlooms, signaling status amid the growing prosperity of the American colonies before the Revolution. What makes this oil painting truly intriguing is its unconventional support: bed ticking, a sturdy, striped linen fabric typically used for mattresses. In resource-scarce colonial households, ...