Sarah Weston Seaton with her Children Augustine and Julia
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; bequest of Armida B. Colt
Accession Number
S/NPG.2011.147
Tags
About this artwork
Born Sheffield, England
Art Historical Context
Charles Bird King’s tender portrait captures Sarah Weston Seaton seated with her young children, Augustine and Julia, around 1815. Born in Sheffield, England, King trained in London before settling in Washington, D.C., where he became one of America’s leading portraitists. This intimate family scene reflects the early nineteenth-century American emphasis on domestic virtue and parental affection, themes that resonated strongly in the young republic. The composition places the figures in a comfortable parlor setting, with Augustine perched on a sofa beside his mother and Julia holding cherries...