Rebecca Bryan White (Mrs. John White) by Peale, Charles Willson
This elegant portrait, "Rebecca Bryan White (Mrs. John White)" by Charles Willson Peale, painted in 1788, has a fascinating journey from private hands to public display. It now resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Peale, an important American artist, captures Mrs. White with serene dignity. Notice the delicate rendering of her pale yellow gown and the intricate pearls in her piled-up hair, reflecting late 18th-century fashion.
The painting remained with the White family for almost 150 years before being sold in 1930. A New York art gallery purchased it for $8,500, a significant sum then, equivalent to over $150,000 today. The gallery then generously donated it, ensuring its accessibility to art lovers for generations.
This piece not only offers a glimpse into American society post-Revolution, but also highlights the changing value and path of art.
Details
Transcript
This quiet portrait by Charles Willson Peale was painted in 1788. She is Rebecca Bryan White, wife of a prominent Philadelphia lawyer. Her family kept it for nearly 150 years. In 1930, it sold to a New York gallery for 8,500 dollars. That's over 150,000 dollars in today's money. The buyer gifted it to the museum, where it has been ever since.