Portrait of Mary Kidder
March 7, 1860
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1962-94-4
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of mid-19th-century American portraiture with *Portrait of Mary Kidder a drawing by Martha S. Day March 7, 1860. Preserved in the Smithsonian American Art's collection, this work captures a personal likeness amid the tense years leading to the Civil War, when such portraits often served as cherished family keepsakes or mementos of loved ones. As a classified with an unknown medium—possibly pencil, ink, or charcoal on paper—it reflects the era's practical artistic choices. Drawings were favored for their affordability and speed compared to formal oil paintings, all...