The Washington Family by Alfred M. Hoffy after Edward Savage
date: label: date made
content: 1858
name: label: depicted
content: Washington, Martha
label: depicted
content: Washington, George
label: depicted
content: Lee, William
label: depicted
content: Custis, Eleanor Parke
label: depicted
content: Custis, George Washington Parke
label: maker
content: Hoffy, Alfred M.
label: originator
content: Savage, Edward
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Black and white print of George and Martha Washington seated at a table on a veranda. A boy (Martha's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis) stands near Washington while a girl (Eleanor Parke Custis, Martha's granddaughter) and an African American likely enslaved servant, are standing behind Martha, in the right background. The black servant who stands in the shadows behind Martha has been often identified as the enslaved servant William Lee, but Savage may have used the freemanJohn Riley as a model while creating the original painting. Washington is depicted in uniform with his arm resting on papers while Martha Washington is pointing her fan to the plans of the new federal city. A large standing globe is in foreground representing the new nation's future in a global world. This lithograph is a copy of a well known 1796 painting by Edward Savage. The Washington family posed for Savage in New York City during the winter of 1789-1790. After producing a copperplate engraving of the family, Savage returned to England and worked on the larger oil on canvas depicting an imaginary scene at Mt Vernon.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The original artist, Edward Savage (1761-1817),a native of Massachusetts, was originally a goldsmith and an engraver. He was self taught in painting at the time he created the Washington Family, but due to its popularity, he was able to spend some time in London training under Benjamin West. When he returned to America he painted in Philadelphia and New York City.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Alfred Hoffy. Born in England around 1790, Hoffy became active in New York in 1835 when he drew on stone the New York City fire of December 16th. He remained active in the city until 1838 when he moved to Philadelphia. There, he produced illustrations for the United States Military Magazine (1839-1841), and was the editor of Orchardist’s Companion (1841-1843). Hoffy remained in Philadelphia until at least 1860 when he published his thirty-six color plate collection, North American Pomologist.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
topic: label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1850-1859
label: Subject
content: Furnishings
label: Subject
content: Marriage
label: Subject
content: Uniforms, Military
label: depicted
content: Blacks
label: depicted
content: Family
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Art
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content: Peters Prints
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content: Domestic Furnishings
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Peters, Harry T.. America on Stone
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.2589
label: catalog number
content: 60.2589
label: accession number
content: 228146
objectType: label: Object Name
content: lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: image: 18 1/8 in x 24 5/8 in; 46.0375 cm x 62.5475 cm