Mrs. Marinus Willett and Her Son Marinus, Jr.
ca. 1802
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
36 7/8 x 28 1/8 in. (93.7 x 71.4 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George Willett Van Nest, 1916
Accession Number
17.87.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, portraiture captured the elegance and aspirations of a young nation's elite, and John Vanderlyn's *Mrs. Marinus Willett Her Son Marinus,.* (ca. 1802) exemplifies this tradition. Painted in oil on canvas, this intimate 36 7/8 x 28 1/8-inch work depicts a poised mother cradling her young son, embodying domestic tenderness amid the formality of the era. Vanderlyn, one of America's pioneering Neoclassical artists trained in Paris under Jacques-Louis David, brought European refinement to his homeland, blending crisp lines, balanced compositions, and luminous skin tones th...
About the Artist
John Vanderlyn · 1775–1852
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