Mary Elizabeth Francis, the Artist's Daughter
ca. 1840
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase and gift in memory of Grace Brereton Sturtevant, the artist's great niece
Accession Number
1972.52
Tags
About this artwork
In this charming portrait of his only daughter, John F. Francis included decorative props such as a floral-patterned carpet, straw hat with scarf, and a kitten. The oval format of the painting evokes the miniatures that nineteenth-century Americans commissioned to preserve the memories of their loved ones. Mary died in 1856, and by the end of the decade Francis had lost all of his immediate family. He survived for another thirty years, perhaps drawing comfort from this beautifully painted image ...