Mrs. Jacob Motte (Rebecca Brewton)

Art Historical Context

This delicate miniature portrait captures Rebecca Brewton, wife of prominent South Carolina planter Jacob Motte, around the time of their marriage. Painted by Jeremiah Theus, one of colonial America’s leading portraitists, the work reflects the refined tastes of the mid-eighteenth-century Southern elite. Its modest scale—just over an inch tall—invites intimate viewing, suggesting it was created as a cherished personal keepsake rather than a formal display piece. Theus rendered the likeness in watercolor on ivory, a demanding technique prized for its luminous, jewel-like quality. The smooth iv...