The Washington Family at Mount Vernon

George and Martha Washington at Leisure on the Grounds of Mount Vernon
Artist: Christiaan Jul ...

Status

Not on view

Label Text

This extremely unusual rendering of a domestic scene at Mount Vernon was produced in the 19th century by little-known Dutch artist, Christiaan Julius Lodewijk Portman. The distortion of the Mansion and the landscape as well as the articulation of the figures suggest a composite image drawn from a variety of sources. The work displays a European sensibility, apparent in the costumes and in the little spaniel dog, ubiquitous in European portraiture of the 17th and 18th centuries, and generally symbolic of fidelity. Perhaps the most striking feature is the representation of an African man, presumably enslaved, presenting a rack of tobacco leaves to Washington.

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Datec. 1837-1857

Artist Christiaan Julius Lodewijk Portman (Dutch, 1799 - 1868)

Subject George Washington (American, 1732 - 1799)

Subject Martha Washington (American, 1731 - 1802)

Subject Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis (American, 1779 - 1852)

Geography Possibly made - NetherlandsPossibly made - France

Medium/TechniqueOil on canvas; gilt wood

DimensionsOverall (H x W x D Framed): 24 13/16 in. × 29 1/4 in. × 2 in. (63.02 cm × 74.3 cm × 5.08 cm) Overall (H x W Sight): 20 5/8 in. × 25 1/16 in. (52.39 cm × 63.66 cm)

Credit LinePurchase, 2013

Object numberM-5336

DescriptionHorizontal, rectangular landscape depicting Mount Vernon with four figures beneath a large tree encircled with a green vine. George Washington—in a black civilian suit with white suit and shirt ruffles, holding a tobacco leaf in his right hand—and Martha Washington—in a black dress with white lace cuffs, and white shawl and cap, holding a fan—sit at a round green table. Eleanor (Nelly) Parke Nelly Custis stands behind them, wearing a pale blue dress with yellow trim and white lace, a blue shawl, and a brimmed black hat with white feathers. The Washington family members are looking toward an African American man, presumably enslaved, at proper left. He wears only a white cloth around his waist, and kneels slightly toward them, presenting a rack of tobacco leaves. At his feet is a small spaniel dog with a yellow collar. The table is set with a decanter, two glasses of wine, a pineapple, oranges, and a knife. A red book is covered by a paper bearing the inscription “Georg[e] Washington Esquire.” The Mansion (shown in truncated form) and the Potomac River (with a small boat and figures) are visible in the background, although their orientation on the landscape is incorrect. Two partially clothed African American female figures are visible on the path toward the Mansion. The background is composed of blue sky and a large cloud formation.

The work is framed in its original lemon (wood)? gilt frame.

SignedIn dark paint at lower proper left corner, “C.J.L. Portman/1857”
Published ReferencesBrunk Auctions, 15-17 NOvember 2013, lot 0509

Klara A. L. Oudendal, Christiaan Julius Lodewijk Portman: Kunstschilder in de Eerste Helft Van de 19E Eeuw, (Utrecht, 2013). (General Reference)

Maurie D. McInnis, “The Most Famous Plantation of All: The Politics of Painting Mount Vernon,” in Angela D. Mack and Stephen G. Hoffius, eds., Landscape of Slavery: The Plantation in American Art (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2008): 86-114. (General Reference)

Hans Rooseboom and Steven Wachlin, “Christiaan Julius Lodewijk Portman,” Depth of Field 18 (October 2001), 34; http://journal.depthoffield.eu/vol18/nr34/f03nl/en_)(General Reference)

Allison Blakely, Blacks in the Dutch World: The Evolution of Racial Imagery in a Modern Society (Bloomington, IN: 1994), 8. (General Reference)

Hugh Honour, The European Vision of America (Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1975). (General Reference)

Gerarda Hermina Marius, Dutch Painting in the Nineteenth Century (London: Alexander Moring Limited [The De La More Press], 1908), 68. (General Reference)

MarkingsTwo labels are on visible through the backing on the verso. At left, a printed label from The Old Print Shop, New York, and at right, a label handwritten in black ink as follows: #2370 oil on canvas/signed Portman 1857/Washington at Mt Vernon/$300-

Mount Vernon's object research is ongoing and information about this object is subject to change. For information on image use and reproductions, click here.