Martha Washington

Object Details

Artist

John Cheney, born South Manchester, CT 1801-died South Manchester, CT 1885

Copy after

John Wollaston, born London, England-died Bath, England; active USA 1742-1775

Sitter

Martha Washington

Luce Center Label

In 1757, the year her first husband died, Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802) sat for a portrait by John Wollaston. Martha was then only twenty-six years old, and within two years would marry her second husband, George Washington. Wollaston’s portrait of Martha was engraved in 1859 by John Cheney, of the firm Cheney & Kellogg. Cheney then painted this miniature, based on his own engraving.

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer

ca. 1859

Object number

1999.27.6

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting-Miniature

Medium

watercolor on ivory

Dimensions

image (oval): 1 1/16 x 13/16 in. (2.7 x 2.1 cm)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Portrait female\bust

Record ID

saam_1999.27.6

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk737419df5-5fb5-48d7-8c43-16c85913f724