Artwork
Mrs. Phebe Houston
Mrs. Phebe Houston is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Elias V. Coe. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Elias V.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on reverse (no longer visible, photo in object file [1953.5.6] in NGA curatorial records): Mrs Phebe Houston / AE 39 / WarwickPainted by / Elias V. Coe / 1837
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition presents a three-quarter view of the sitter, rendered with the muted tonal modeling typical of the period.
Mrs. Phebe Houston is an oil painting on canvas, measuring approximately 71.3 cm by 55.9 cm. The work was executed by Elias V. Coe in 1837 and is classified as a portrait. The oil paint is applied to a stretched canvas support, a common technique for mid-19th-century American portraiture. The composition presents a three-quarter view of the sitter, rendered with the muted tonal modeling typical of the period.
History & Provenance
Elias V. Coe executed the oil-on-canvas portrait of Mrs. Phebe Houston in 1837. The work is documented as originating from New Jersey. Its modern ownership history began in 1950 when Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch acquired the painting.
Three years later, in 1953, the Garbisches donated the piece to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains in the collection.
Mrs. Phebe Houston has been part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1953, when it was given by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The Garbisches had purchased the painting in 1950, and prior to that it was recorded as being from New Jersey. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Elias V. Coe's 1837 oil painting, Mrs. Phebe Houston, presents a formal portrait of its subject. The work depicts a woman seated, rendered with a focus on her attire and countenance. As an oil on canvas piece, it exemplifies portraiture from the period, capturing a specific individual through the artist's lens.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait centers on Mrs. Phebe Houston, depicted in period dress, including a detailed hat and gown. Coe meticulously rendered these elements, suggesting the fashion of the era. Her face, the focal point of the composition, conveys a composed and serene demeanor, inviting the viewer to contemplate her character through her gentle expression.
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