Mrs. Samuel Mifflin and Her Granddaughter Rebecca Mifflin Francis

Art Historical Context

In the heart of the American Revolution (1775–1783), Charlesson Peale captured a tender moment of familial intimacy in *Mrs. Samuel Mifflin and Herdaughter Rebecca Mifflin Francis*1777–80). This oil-on-canvas portrait, measuring 50 1/8 x 40 1/4 inches, depicts Esther DeBerdt Mifflin, wife of merchant and patriot Samuel Mifflin, with her young granddaughter Rebecca. Peale, a leading figure in early American art and founder of the nation's first public museum, specialized in realistic, dignified portraits that celebrated the emerging nation's elite families. Painted amid wartime upheaval, the work highlights the resilience of domestic life and women's roles in colonial society. Peale's meticulous technique—employing fine brushwork, rich textures in fabrics, and soft lighting—draws from British influences like John Singleton Copley while asserting an American identity. The composition emphasizes generational bonds, a rarity in portraiture that often focused on male sitters, underscoring family legacy during a time of political transformation. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this piece exemplifies Peale's contribution to documenting Revolutionary-era figures, blending historical record with emotional warmth for posterity.

About the Artist

Charles Willson Peale · 1741–1827

Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827) was an American painter, museum founder, naturalist, and inventor who became the most important American portraitist of the Revolutionary era and a central figure in the cultural life of the young republic. Born in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, he initially trained as a saddler before turning to painting, studying briefly with John Singleton Copley in Boston and ...