Artwork
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Otis and Child
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Otis and Child is a watercolor work on paper by the American Folk Art artist Joseph H. Davis. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in watercolor with gum arabic binder and graphite accents on off-white wove paper, measuring 27.3 cm in height by 42.2 cm in width. The work belongs to The American Wing’s portrait genre and depicts a woman, rendered with delicate tonal modeling that emphasizes the sitter's presence through subtle contrasts of pigment and line.
History & Provenance
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the work, which entered its collection through a documented acquisition chain recorded in its provenance.
Joseph H. Davis created Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Otis and Child in 1834 as a watercolor and graphite portrait on paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the work, which entered its collection through a documented acquisition chain recorded in its provenance. The painting measures 27.3 cm in height and 42.2 cm in width, and is classified within The American Wing gallery as a portrait genre work depicting a woman. Its creation is dated to 1834 based on the artist's recorded activity and the work's inscription.
The artwork remained in the possession of the Otis family prior to its acquisition by the museum, establishing a clear ownership transition from private family holding to institutional custody. This move reflects the broader 20th-century trend of American decorative arts entering major museum collections, underscored by its inclusion in The American Wing's curated displays.
The artwork is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing. Measuring 27.3 by 42.2 cm, the 1834 watercolor, gum arabic, and graphite piece on off-white wove paper remains in the museum's collection. The provided sources do not record a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they document an exhibition history for the work.
Overview
Created in 1834, this small watercolor portrait presents Daniel Otis, his wife, and their infant child seated together on off‑white wove paper. The family is rendered in muted tones: the father in a dark suit, the mother in a pink dress, and the baby in a white gown. The composition captures a moment of domestic intimacy, with the father holding a newspaper and the mother gazing toward the child.
Subject & Meaning
The work records a typical New England household of the early 1830s, emphasizing everyday interaction rather than formal pose. The father's newspaper suggests engagement with current events, while the mother's downward glance and the baby's direct stare convey a tender, private scene. By portraying the family in this relaxed manner, the artist highlights the quotidian aspects of middle‑class life in Maine and New Hampshire.
Context
The portrait belongs to a period when American folk artists documented the lives of ordinary citizens in the northeastern United States. Davis’s focus on Maine and New Hampshire families provides visual evidence of regional dress, domestic objects, and social customs of the era, offering scholars insight into early 19th‑century American material culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph H. Davis (active 1832–1837; died May 25, 1865) was an itinerant American portrait painter. Over a period of only five years, from 1832 to 1837, he painted about 150 watercolor portraits of residents of Maine and…
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