Artwork
The Sargent Family
The Sargent Family is an oil painting. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is an oil painting on canvas that depicts a domestic interior populated by members of a family.
About this work
A woman in a black dress sits on the right, holding a baby, with two other girls nearby and a dog on the floor.
The painting shows a family in a room. A man in a black suit and hat stands on the left, holding hands with a girl in a white dress. A woman in a black dress sits on the right, holding a baby, with two other girls nearby and a dog on the floor.
The room has a window with a view, two bird cages on the wall, and a patterned floor. The family seems to be in a quiet moment.
If you like this painting, you might want to learn more about the artist American 19th Century.
Technique & Style
The Sargent Family is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, a standard medium for American portraiture of the early 19th century. Created in 1800, the work measures 97.2 cm in height and 127.8 cm in width, presenting a substantial group composition. As an oil-on-canvas painting, the surface likely retains the textural qualities and handling characteristics typical of the era's portraiture, though specific details regarding the brushwork or current physical condition are not detailed in the available records.
The classification identifies the piece as a formal portrait, reflecting the stylistic conventions of American artists active during the first decade of the 1800s.
History & Provenance
The work is dated to 1800 based on family descent records and internal documentation.
Ownership descended in the Sargent family: from Martha [Patty] Hills Sargent (the mother) to her daughter, also named Martha [Patty] Hills Sargent (later Mrs. Jehiel Smith), then to her great-granddaughter Martha Gertrude Farner Cork in Waukesha, Wisconsin. By 17 June 1941, Cork transferred the painting to her granddaughter, Gertrude Louise Cork Swezey, in Coxsackie, New York.
In 1953, Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch acquired the painting, possibly through agent Thurston Thacher of Hyde Park, New York, and later donated it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., the same year.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its provenance traces a direct line of descent within the Sargent family, eventually passing to Martha Gertrude Farner Cork of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Before June 17, 1941, Cork gifted the work to her granddaughter, Gertrude Louise Cork Swezey. In 1953, Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch purchased the portrait, potentially utilizing Thurston Thacher as an agent, and subsequently donated it to the National Gallery of Art that same year.
No specific exhibition history or inventory accession numbers are provided in the available records.
Overview
The work is an oil painting on canvas that depicts a domestic interior populated by members of a family. A gentleman in a dark suit and hat stands on the left, his hand linked with that of a young girl in a white dress. To the right, a woman in a black dress cradles an infant, while two additional girls and a dog occupy the foreground. The scene is framed by a window, birdcages, and a patterned floor, suggesting a quiet, everyday moment.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on familial bonds, emphasizing connections across generations. The juxtaposition of adult and child figures, along with the presence of a pet, conveys a sense of household stability and affection. The inclusion of domestic objects such as birdcages and the window view reinforces the intimate, private nature of the setting.
Context
During the 1800s, American painters often turned to genre scenes that highlighted everyday life and family values. This painting fits within that tradition, offering a visual record of middle‑class domesticity, attire, and interior décor of the era.
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