RevolutionCrossroads/si_us_revolutionary_era_collections huggingface dataset:
Santa Catalina de Alejandria
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Sculpture
Date: ca. 1780-1818
Artist: Felipe de la Espada, born San Germán, Puerto Rico ca. 1754-died San Germán, Puerto Rico 1818
Medium: carved, painted, and gilded wood with glass
Dimensions: 33 7/8 x 15 x 11 1/2 in. (86.1 x 38.2 x 29.3 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: St. Catherine
Religion
Saints
Luce Center Label: Felipe de la Espada and his son Tiburcio carved in the tradition of the most skilled artisans of the Spanish Catholic Church. In this santo, St. Catherine’s gown was decorated using estofado, a method of painting over gold leaf that duplicates the radiance of rich brocade. After Catherine was baptized, Christ appeared to her in a dream and took her as his celestial bride, placing a ring on her finger. As a young woman she angered Maximinus II, who ruled Alexandria, when she converted the empress and the emperor’s philosophers to Christianity. Maximinus ordered Catherine’s death, having her bound between four spiked wheels. A flame from heaven destroyed the wheels, but she was eventually beheaded. She is usually represented in works of art and ritual objects as a beautiful young woman wearing a crown to denote her noble heritage.
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San Juan Nepomuceno
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Sculpture
Date: late 18th-early 19th century
Artist: Felipe de la Espada, born San Germán, Puerto Rico ca. 1754-died San Germán, Puerto Rico 1818
Medium: carved and painted wood
Dimensions: 9 3/8 x 3 5/8 x 2 3/4 in. (23.7 x 9.3 x 7.0 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: St. John
Religion
Saints
Luce Center Label: Saint John Nepomuk is represented in this santo with a tilted head, placid expression, and outstretched arms to convey the great compassion for which he was venerated throughout the Spanish colonies. Saint John was born in the town of Nepomuk in today’s Czech Republic. He became the vicar-general of Prague, but King Wenceslaus IV had him thrown from a bridge into the river Moldau in 1393 when John refused to reveal details of the queen’s confession. After he was made a saint in 1729, John’s popularity spread throughout Europe and the New World, where priests eagerly promoted the veneration of the patron saint of confession. In certain regions St. John also served as the patron saint of irrigation, bridges, and other engineering projects. (Andrew Connors, “José Campeche’s San Juan Nepomuceno,” American Art, Summer 1997)
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San Ramon Nonato
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Sculpture
Date: late 18th-early 19th century
Artist: Felipe de la Espada, born San Germán, Puerto Rico ca. 1754-died San Germán, Puerto Rico 1818
Medium: carved and painted wood
Dimensions: 12 x 4 5/8 x 4 7/8 in. (30.5 x 11.8 x 12.4 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Religion
Saints
St. Raymond
Luce Center Label: San Ramon Nonato is the patron saint of slaves. He is also widely invoked by women in labor, as protector of newborns and patron of midwives. He acquired the name “non natus” (unborn) because he was delivered from his mother’s womb by cesarean section. He is the patron saint of Catalonia in Spain, and the many images of him in Puerto Rico attest to the migration of Catalonians to the island in the nineteenth century.
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San José y el Cristo Niño
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting
Date: ca. 1794
Artist: José Campeche y Jordán, born San Juan, Puerto Rico 1751-died San Juan, Puerto Rico 1809
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 37 x 28 1/2 in. (94.0 x 72.4 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Religion
Saints
Bible, N.T.
St. Joseph
Angels
Jesus Christ
Luce Center Label: According to the Gospels, Joseph was the husband of the Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. In Puerto Rico, St. Joseph is often invoked by and for the dying and he is the patron saint of several Puerto Rican communities, including the island's western region of Lares. (Yvonne Lange, "Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico," PhD diss., 1975)
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Santa Rita de Casia
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Sculpture
Date: late 18th-early 19th century
Artist: Felipe de la Espada, born San Germán, Puerto Rico ca. 1754-died San Germán, Puerto Rico 1818
Medium: carved and painted wood with glass
Dimensions: 19 1/4 x 7 3/8 x 6 1/4 in. (48.9 x 18.8 x 15.9 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Religion
Saints
St. Rita
Luce Center Label: Conservation of this santo revealed red marks representing blood and a faded trace of a thorn on the figure’s forehead beneath layers of paint. These are symbols of St. Rita, who spent her days meditating on Christ’s sacrifice at the Monastery of the Hermits of Saint Augustine in Casia, Spain. This santo is meant to be dressed with textiles representing her habit. Her arms have been lost and she no longer wears a wig. The figure was found in a peasant home in the rural district of Minillas in San Germán, Puerto Rico. In its early colonial years, Puerto Rico had very few priests and it was difficult for those who lived in remote areas to attend church. As a result, rural Puerto Ricans worshiped at home before altars filled with santos, such as this Santa Rita.
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Cristo
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Sculpture
Date: late 18th-early 19th century
Attributed to: Espada Family, active 19th century
Medium: carved and painted wood
Dimensions: 40 x 20 1/4 x 15 1/2 in. (101.6 x 51.5 x 39.4 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Religion
Bible, N.T.
Jesus Christ
Luce Center Label: In a museum installation, behind glass, these religious figures and santos are not as physically accessible as they were for worshipers in their churches or home altars. The sights, sounds, and smells surrounding this devotional image of Christ in its original context are now left to the imagination. A closer look at this figure provides a glimpse into its ritual function: rings of melted wax are visible on the base from the candles that were lit in prayer.
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San Juan Nepomuceno
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting
Date: ca. 1798
Artist: José Campeche y Jordán, born San Juan, Puerto Rico 1751-died San Juan, Puerto Rico 1809
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 41 3/4 x 29 1/2 in. (106.1 x 74.9 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Books and reading
Cross
Palm
St. John
Foliage
Religion
Saints
Emblems
Gallery Label: The halo of five stars around the head of San Juan Nepomuceno, the patron saint of confessors, spells out TACUI, Latin for "I did not speak." The letters lead the viewer's eye to the figure of Christ, the object of the saint's devotion. This painting reminded priests of their obligation to remain silent regarding what they heard from those they absolved. José Campeche, a descendant of freed slaves, made a career for himself as an artist and architect, using colonial, European, and folk traditions to create distinctively Puerto Rican artwork at the close of the eighteenth-century.Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006
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La Natividad
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting
Date: ca. 1799
Artist: José Campeche y Jordán, born San Juan, Puerto Rico 1751-died San Juan, Puerto Rico 1809
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 33 1/4 x 27 7/8 in. (84.5 x 70.8 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint
Joseph
Religion
Nativity
Bible, N.T.
Angels
Jesus Christ
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Nuestra Señora de Belén
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting
Date: late 18th century
Artist: José Campeche y Jordán, born San Juan, Puerto Rico 1751-died San Juan, Puerto Rico 1809
Medium: oil on copper
Dimensions: 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (24.2 x 19.2 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Amusements
Recreation
Food habits
Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint
Religion
Bible, N.T.
Jesus Christ
Luce Center Label: The iconography of the Virgin nursing the infant Jesus identifies Mary with the Church. In the same manner that Mary cares for the Christ child, so the Church nurtures its children. Images of the Virgin nursing were popular in the High Middle Ages, particularly in Spain in Catalonia and Valencia. When José Campeche was active in Puerto Rico, Catalonians were bringing to the island artistic influences from the mother country. (Yvonne Lange, “Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico,” PhD diss., 1975)
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La Virgen del pilar
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting
Date: late 18th century
Artist: José Campeche y Jordán, born San Juan, Puerto Rico 1751-died San Juan, Puerto Rico 1809
Medium: oil on canvas mounted to board
Dimensions: 23 x 16 7/8 in. (58.4 x 42.9 cm.)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection
Topics: Architecture
Column
Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint
Religion
Bible, N.T.
Angels
Jesus Christ
Detail
Luce Center Label: Devotion to the Virgin is an important element of Puerto Rican Catholicism. The Madonna is venerated in many guises, each with its own iconography. According to Spanish legend, the apostle James, patron saint of Spain, saw a vision of the Virgin Mary one night while he was praying on the banks of the Ebro at Saragoza. Mary asked for a church to be built on that spot. The church, Santa Maria la Mayor, was erected along with a statue of the Virgin mounted on a marble pillar. By 1456, the term Virgen del Pilar was so common among Catholics that Pope Calixtus III confirmed the name by papal decree. (Yvonne Lange, "Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico," PhD diss., 1975)
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Whole-Cloth Quilt
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Decorative Arts-Fiber
Quilt
Crafts
Date: ca. 1775
Artist: Unidentified
Medium: printed and painted cotton, quilted irregularly
Dimensions: 53 1/2 × 39 in. (135.9 × 99.1 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith
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Appliqued Quilt (Center Medallion)
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Decorative Arts-Fiber
Quilt
Crafts
Date: ca. 1790-1820
Artist: Unidentified
Medium: hand-printed, indigo-resist, and white cottons; quilted with figurative designs and stipple ground
Dimensions: 112 × 111 1/2 in. (284.5 × 283.2 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith
Topics: Flowers
[None]
Pieced Quilt (Strips)
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Decorative Arts-Fiber
Quilt
Crafts
Date: ca. 1800
Artist: Unidentified
Medium: chintzes and printed cottons, quilted in clamshell
Dimensions: 93 3/8 × 86 1/2 in. (237.1 × 219.7 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith
[None]
Textile fragment: The Departure from The Deserted Village
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Decorative Arts-Fiber
Crafts
Date: 1790s
Artist: Unidentified
Medium: English copperplate print on cotton
Dimensions: 67 × 25 in. (170.2 × 63.5 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith
[None]
Young Woman of the Chase Family
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: 1810
Artist: Unidentified
Sitter: Chase
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: image (oval): 2 7/8 x 2 1/4 in. (7.3 x 5.7 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Women
Portraits
Luce Center Label: This portrait was originally attributed to the artist Sarah Goodridge, but recent research has discovered this not to be the case. It is possibly by Henry Williams, or William Doyle, both of whom are represented in the collection. The Chase family lived in Fall River, Massachusetts, at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
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Mr. Baker
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1800-1814
Attributed to: Charles Hénard, French, born Bourg-en-Bresse, France 1757-died after 1808
Sitter: Mr. Baker
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: image (oval): 2 7/16 x 1 15/16 in. (6.2 x 4.9 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Men
Portraits
Luce Center Label: Although this miniature is not dated, it was probably painted at the same time as Mrs. Baker’s miniature, either in Paris or Maryland, in the first two decades of the nineteenth century.
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Mrs. Baker
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1800-1814
Attributed to: Charles Hénard, French, born Bourg-en-Bresse, France 1757-died after 1808
Sitter: Mrs. Baker
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: image (oval): 2 3/8 x 1 15/16 in. (6.1 x 4.9 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Women
Portraits
Luce Center Label: Although this miniature is undated, Mrs. Baker’s dress and hairstyle are of the fashion favored in Paris during the early 1800s, and in America by the 1810s.
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William McIntyre
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: early 19th century
Artist: John Wesley Jarvis, born South Shields, England 1780-died New York City 1840
Sitter: William McIntyre
Medium: watercolor, pen and ink and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sight 4 1/2 x 3 5/8 in. (11.4 x 9.1 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Men
Portraits
[None]
Portrait of the Artist and His Wife
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1800-1812
Artist: William Leslie, English, born England before 1769-died London, England 1812
Sitter: Mrs. William Leslie
William Leslie
Medium: pencil and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: image: 5 5/8 x 7 1/4 in. (14.3 x 18.4 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Women
Books and reading
Clothing and dress
Men
Dress accessories
Eye wear
Portraits
Family
Spouses
Hats
[None]
Dr. Elisha Poinsett
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1801-1802
Artist: Edward Greene Malbone, born Newport, RI 1777-died Savannah, GA 1807
Sitter: Elisha Poinsett
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (7.1 x 5.7 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Medicine
Physicians
Occupations
Men
Portraits
Luce Center Label: Edward Greene Malbone painted miniatures of several members of the Poinsett family during his trip to Charleston in 1801-02. Two of those miniatures are in this collection: Dr. Elisha Poinsett (1723-1804), and his daughter, Susan. Dr. Poinsett was the father of Joel R. Poinsett, who was a member of the House of Representatives and secretary of war to President Van Buren.
[None]
Susan Poinsett
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1801-1802
Artist: Edward Greene Malbone, born Newport, RI 1777-died Savannah, GA 1807
Sitter: Susan Poinsett
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (7.0 x 5.7 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Women
Portraits
Luce Center Label: Edward Greene Malbone painted Elisha Poinsett’s daughter, Susan (1782-1804), and other members of the Charleston family in 1801 and 1802. Susan was then recuperating from a lengthy illness, but her recovery was brief and she died two years later.
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General John Cadwalader
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1788
Artist: Charles Willson Peale, born Queen Anne's County, MD 1741-died Philadelphia, PA 1827
Sitter: John Cadwalader
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 1 1/2 x 1 1/4 x 1/4 in. (3.9 x 3.2 x 0.5 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Occupations
Men
Portraits
Military
Luce Center Label: During the Revolutionary War, General John Cadwalader (1742-1786) commanded troops at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and Princeton. He was much admired by his close friend General George Washington, who referred to him as "a military genius." Washington offered Cadwalader the position of Continental brigadier general, but his friend declined, preferring to become a state legislator in Maryland after the war. When Charles Willson Peale painted Cadwalader's likeness, it was intended to ornament a woman's bracelet, and in fact the original fittings for an ornamental band---similar to today's watchbands---are visible along the sides of the miniature's case.
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Caldwell Sister
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1782
Artist: Charles Willson Peale, born Queen Anne's County, MD 1741-died Philadelphia, PA 1827
Sitter: Caldwell
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: image (oval): 1 5/8 x 1 1/4 in. (4.1 x 3.1 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Women
Portraits
Luce Center Label: Housed together, this pair of miniatures depicts sisters, both of whom are dressed in the fashion of the day, with upswept hair decorated with braids or pearls woven into the curls.
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Colonel John Cox
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: 1778
Artist: Charles Willson Peale, born Queen Anne's County, MD 1741-died Philadelphia, PA 1827
Sitter: John Cox
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 1 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. (3.7 x 3.0 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Occupations
Colonel
Men
Portraits
Military
Luce Center Label: According to George Washington’s diary, Colonel John Cox sat for the finishing touches on this miniature at Valley Forge on April 23, 1778. At the time, Peale was a captain in the same company. Cox took the oath of allegiance at Valley Forge earlier that year, and served as the company’s assistant quartermaster general. A Philadelphia merchant, Cox owned Batsto Furnace in New Jersey, which produced munitions for the Continental army. Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.
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Capt. John Gassoway
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1790
Artist: Charles Willson Peale, born Queen Anne's County, MD 1741-died Philadelphia, PA 1827
Sitter: John Gassoway
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 1 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. (3.8 x 2.9 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Uniforms
Occupations
Clothing and dress
Men
Portraits
Captain
Military
Luce Center Label: Captain John Gassoway (1754-1820), also spelled Gassaway, was wounded and taken prisoner at the disastrous Battle of Camden, fought by Revolutionary forces in South Carolina in 1780. Branches of his family occupy a prominent role in the history of South Carolina, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.
[None]
Portrait of a Gentleman
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1780-1790
Artist: Unidentified
Sitter: unidentified
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: image (oval): 1 1/2 x 1 1/4 in. (3.8 x 3.2 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Men
Portraits
Luce Center Label: This portrait was originally attributed to the artist Charles Willson Peale, but research has since proved this not to be the case. We do not know who the artist or the sitter were for this eighteenth-century miniature. The sitter wears a simple white cravat and unpowdered hair, as many colonists did to distinguish themselves from Loyalists.
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John Tower
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: 1806
Artist: James Peale, born Chestertown, MD 1749-died Philadelphia, PA 1831
Sitter: John Tower
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 2 5/8 x 2 1/8 in. (6.7 x 5.3 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Men
Portraits
Luce Center Label: The only clues to this man’s identity are the interlocking initials “JT” on the back of the locket, and the miniature’s descent in a branch of John Tower’s family. It is presumed that this man was John Tower, who was married to Elizabeth Cruger, granddaughter of John Cruger, who was mayor of New York from 1739 to 1744.
[None]
Portrait of a Gentleman
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: 1789
Artist: James Peale, born Chestertown, MD 1749-died Philadelphia, PA 1831
Sitter: unidentified
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 1 3/4 x 1 1/4 in. (4.3 x 3.2 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Men
Portraits
Luce Center Label: In his dress and hairstyle, this young man is presented in a manner very similar to Josiah Hewes Anthony, also painted by James Peale around this time <b>[see 1952.12.2]</b>.
Portrait of a Gentleman
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: 1800
Artist: James Peale, born Chestertown, MD 1749-died Philadelphia, PA 1831
Sitter: unidentified
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: sight 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (7.0 x 5.7 cm) oval
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Men
Portraits
Luce Center Label: Although we do not know who this man was, his elegantly knotted tie and the miniature he wears at his throat suggest he was a man of some means, perhaps a successful merchant like Howes Goldsborough, also painted by James Peale around this time <b>[see 1948.5.1]</b>.
Major-General Anthony Wayne
Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Object type: Painting-Miniature
Date: ca. 1795
Artist: James Peale, born Chestertown, MD 1749-died Philadelphia, PA 1831
Sitter: Anthony Wayne
Medium: watercolor on ivory
Dimensions: image (oval): 1 3/4 x 1 3/8 in. (4.5 x 3.4 cm)
Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Topics: Uniforms
Occupations
Clothing and dress
Men
Portraits
Military
Luce Center Label: “Mad Anthony” Wayne (1745-1796) was one of the most colorful figures of the American Revolution. His early training as a surveyor came in handy as he guided his troops during the Valley Forge campaign. Following the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Washington sent Wayne into South Carolina to chase the British out, after which he was promoted to major general. He returned home in 1783 and reentered the Pennsylvania legislature, where he had served until 1775. When Washington appointed him commander in chief of the United States Army, Wayne turned to fighting Indian tribes along the Great Lakes, finally achieving peace with the Treaty of Greenville in 1795 before retiring from military service. He chose to be depicted in this miniature in his uniform at the rank of major general, probably as he reentered the legislature.
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