Betsey Bender Greenough, Mrs. David Greenough
Artist
Gilbert Stuart
(American, 1755–1828)
Dateabout 1810
Mediumoil on panel
Dimensionspanel: 59.8 x 45.1 cm (23 9/16 x 17 3/4 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineGift of David Richardson
Object number1991.178
Label TextBetsey Bender (1776–1866) was the fifth of nine children born to Peter Bender (1745–1832) and his first wife, Abigail Brigham Bender (1745–1805), of Marlborough, Massachusetts. She married David Greenough of Boston in 1799, and the couple bore eleven children, nine of whom survived into adulthood. Among their children, several became well respected artists, including the sculptors Horatio Greenough (1805–1852) and Richard Saltonstall Greenough (1819–1904), and the painter John Greenough (1801–1852).
This bust-length portrait shows a sympathetic woman with dark brown hair styled in a loose bun and curls that fall on her forehead. Her flushed cheeks, reddened nostril and pink lips liven the soft palette of her skin, which is further emphasized by the stark contrast with her high-waisted black dress. The blonde wood and red upholstery of the chair is barely visible against the red curtain that covers most of the background. A glimpse of an exterior view is visible in the lower right corner, with visible strokes of blue, white and green suggesting the sky and foliage.
ProvenanceDescended in the sitter's family to David Richardson, 3338 Dent Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007 (sitter's great-great-grandson). Probably Betsey Bender Greenough to Henry Greenough (her son); to Frances Boott Greenough Blake (his daughter); to Ann Blake Richardson (her daughter); to donor (her son)On View
Not on view
