Artwork
Great-Grand-Father's Tale of the Revolution—A Portrait of Reverend Zachariah Greene
Great-Grand-Father's Tale of the Revolution—A Portrait of Reverend Zachariah Greene is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist William Sidney Mount. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1984.192
- Credit line
- Purchase, Morris K. Jesup and Maria DeWitt Jesup Funds, Gift of George I. Seney and Bequest of Vera Ruth Miller, by exchange; and Gift of Anita Pohndorff Yates, in memory of her father, F. G. Pohndorff, 1984
About this work
Reverend Zachariah Greene sits in a chair, telling a group of children a tale of the Revolution. William Sidney Mount painted the quiet moment in oil in 1852, a grandfatherly figure holding his young listeners.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for mid-nineteenth-century American portraiture.
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for mid-nineteenth-century American portraiture. Its dimensions are 61 by 50.8 centimeters, a modest, upright format suited to a multi-figure composition. Classified as a portrait within the holdings of the American Wing, the painting depicts Zachariah Greene alongside a boy, girl, and man, suggesting a conversational grouping rather than a single sitter.
The medium and scale are consistent with William Sidney Mount's narrative portrait practice of 1852, in which oil on canvas allowed for detailed rendering of facial features and costume while remaining transportable. No condition issues or handling notes are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Great-Grand-Father's Tale of the Revolution, A Portrait of Reverend Zachariah Greene was painted by William Sidney Mount in 1852 as an oil on canvas. It represents Reverend Zachariah Greene and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is housed in The American Wing and classified as a portrait. The work measures 61 cm in height by 50.8 cm in width. No specific accession number, nor any exhibition history, is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
This oil on canvas, titled "Great-Grand-Father's Tale of the Revolution, A Portrait of Reverend Zachariah Greene," presents a domestic scene. It depicts Reverend Zachariah Greene recounting stories of the American Revolution to a group of children. The artwork captures an intimate moment of intergenerational storytelling, highlighting the transmission of historical memory within a family setting through a quiet, engaging interaction.
Subject & Meaning
The painting's central focus is Reverend Zachariah Greene, seated and actively engaged in a narrative with several young listeners. His posture and the children's attentive gazes convey a sense of shared intimacy and respect. This portrayal emphasizes the role of elders in preserving and transmitting historical events, specifically the American Revolution, to younger generations, fostering a connection to the nation's past through personal accounts and family bonds.
Context
The depiction of a revered elder sharing tales of the Revolution reflects a common theme in 19th-century American art and literature. Such scenes underscored the importance of national history and the values associated with the founding generation. They served to reinforce a collective identity and patriotism, often through the lens of domestic life and familial bonds, making history tangible and personal for contemporary viewers.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Sidney Mount (November 26, 1807 – November 19, 1868) was a 19th-century American genre painter.
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