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Catalog Data

Artist:
Walter Robertson, Irish, born Dublin, Ireland ca. 1750-died Fatehpur, India 1801/02  Search this
Sitter:
Joseph Anthony  Search this
Medium:
watercolor on ivory
Dimensions:
sight 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (7.0 x 5.7 cm) oval
Type:
Painting-Miniature
Date:
ca. 1794
Luce Center Label:
Captain Joseph Anthony (1738-1798) was a prosperous Philadelphia merchant. His son Joseph Jr. became a prominent silversmith, and his son Josiah, a fellow merchant. The miniature of Josiah Hewes Anthony is in this collection <b>[see 1952.12.2]</b>. On the back of Captain Anthony’s miniature is a second painting---a mourning scene, with two female figures holding two bluebirds and a red rose. They sit next to a large funerary urn under a massive tree, a temple behind them in the rolling landscape. The tree and grass are made with clippings of hair, and braided locks---perhaps from the captain himself---adorn the perimeter of the image. This second painting is clearly by a different artist, and was probably added to the miniature after the captain’s death.
Topic:
Occupation\military\captain  Search this
Portrait male\waist length  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ruel P. Tolman
Object number:
1952.12.1
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7ea41f660-da43-4375-8a4a-d7259411f23b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_1952.12.1