The Wiley Family
William Williams
1771
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Diane and Norman Bernstein
Accession Number
2006.12.2
Tags
wallwindmillriverflowerbookfamilyfull length
About this artwork
The Wiley family owned the largest distillery in New York City during the years surrounding the Revolutionary War. John Wiley, depicted in this group portrait with his mother and sisters, took over the distillery business after his fatherâs death and became a successful merchant in his own right, operating a fleet of commercial ships. His older sister, elegantly dressed for the occasion, holds on her arm a tame squirrel-- a symbol of her decorum and her suitability for marriage. The younger da...