Artwork
Eaton Family Memorial
Eaton Family Memorial is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Samuel Jordan. It dates from 1831 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on base of memorial: S.J. Sc 1831; on memorial: to the Memory of / Ednah Eaton- / who died December 22nd / 1797, AEt. 3 years- / Samuel Eaton- / [w]ho Died October 6th 1803, / [] 3 years- / [M]ehitable Eaton / [w]ho died April 12th 1819- / 12 Years- / Lucy Eaton- / who died August 14th / 1830- / AEt 40 years- / Sleep on, my Children, sleep; across top reverse (no longer visible, photograph in object file [1955.11.9] in NGA curatorial records): Painted AD 1831 in Plaistow, N, Hampshire / by Samuel Jordan; lower right reverse in pseudo-Greek: Samuel Jordan of Boston / painted AD 1831 / Aged 27 / in God's Name / Adieu.; lower left reverse, below a shooting star and a half-fallen cross, in pseudo-Greek: Christ our Trust
About this work
Subject & Meaning
However, the precise significance of the memorial reference and any additional symbolic elements remain unspecified in the available documentation.
The Eaton Family Memorial depicts a tree as its central subject, consistent with its classification as a landscape painting. Beyond this basic description, the provided sources do not elaborate on the specific iconography, symbolism, or broader meaning of the work. The title suggests a commemorative or memorial function, implying the tree may serve as a symbolic representation of family lineage, endurance, or remembrance, common themes in early nineteenth-century American folk art.
However, the precise significance of the memorial reference and any additional symbolic elements remain unspecified in the available documentation.
Technique & Style
Created in 1831, the Eaton Family Memorial is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 55.6 centimeters in height and 39.4 centimeters in width. Classified as a landscape genre piece, the composition centers on the depiction of a tree.
As an example of early 19th-century American painting by Samuel Jordan, the piece utilizes traditional oil paint application on a stretched canvas ground. The formal qualities align with the landscape tradition, focusing on natural elements rather than portraiture or narrative scenes. The physical condition and specific handling techniques of the paint layers are not detailed in the available records, though the medium and support are definitively established as oil on canvas.
History & Provenance
The Eaton Family Memorial, an 1831 oil on canvas landscape by American folk artist Samuel Jordan, was originally documented as originating in New Hampshire. After passing through the Edith Gregor Halpert gallery in New York, the work was sold in 1949 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who later gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1955. The painting remains in the Gallery’s collection in Washington, D.C. Its creation is dated to 1831, with documented dimensions of 55.6 × 39.4 cm, and it depicts a solitary tree, characteristic of Jordan’s landscape genre.
The Eaton Family Memorial, an 1831 oil on canvas by Samuel Jordan, is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its provenance traces to New Hampshire before passing through the Edith Gregor Halpert American Folk Art Gallery in New York. The work was sold in 1949 to collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who subsequently gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1955. While the specific accession number is not provided in the available records, the painting remains part of the museum's permanent holdings. The sources do not contain specific details regarding past exhibitions of this particular landscape depicting a tree.
Overview
Samuel Jordan's Eaton Family Memorial, an oil on canvas from 1831, presents a solitary tree as its central motif. This painting is notable as one of the limited works produced by the artist during his brief career. Executed shortly before his death at the age of 30, it serves as a poignant example of his artistic output and a testament to his individual style.
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