William Walter Phelps' Nephew and His Mother, Mrs. Steuart Dodge
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1942-50-433
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Daniel Huntington's *William Walter Phelps' Nephew and Mother, Mrs. Ste Dodge* (1872) captures an intimate portrait of a young boy and his mother from one of 19th-century America's prominent families. Huntington, a leading American artist (1816–1906) and president of the National Academy Design, was renowned for realistic portrayals of the elite, blending the refined techniques of academic portraiture with subtle emotional depth. This work exemplifies his skill in rendering figures with lifelike poise, highlighting familial bonds amid the Gilded Age's social ascent. Created during a period of...