Roxana Atwater Wentworth

George Peter Alexander Healy executed this oil-on-canvas portrait of Roxana Atwater Wentworth in 1876. Upon its completion, the work was acquired by John Wentworth in Chicago, who held it until his death in 1888. Ownership subsequently passed to the sitter, his daughter Roxana Atwater Wentworth (later Mrs. Clarence Winthrop Bowen), in New York.

The painting was then inherited by her daughter, Roxana Wentworth Bowen (later Mrs. William Stephen Van Rensselaer and Lady Gordon Vereker), who resided in Valbonne, France. Following the younger Roxana's death in 1968, the artwork remained part of her estate until it was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1970.

This oil on canvas painting, titled Roxana Atwater Wentworth, was completed in 1876 by the artist George Peter Alexander Healy. The work is a formal portrait depicting its namesake, Roxana Atwater Wentworth, presented as a seated figure. As a representative example of 19th-century portraiture, it captures a specific individual through the medium of painting.

The portrait presents Roxana Atwater Wentworth seated within an interior space, attired in period clothing. Her expression conveys a sense of composure and seriousness. While specific biographical details about Wentworth remain largely unrecorded, the painting offers a visual impression of her character and presence, inviting contemplation on the individual depicted.

George Peter Alexander Healy was a prolific portrait painter, and Roxana Atwater Wentworth aligns with his broader body of work in this genre. His practice frequently involved capturing prominent figures and private individuals, contributing to a significant visual record of 19th-century American society. This painting exemplifies his consistent engagement with the art of portraiture.