Col. Josiah Parker

John Ramage, Col. Josiah Parker, ca. 1789, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1957.3.3
Copied John Ramage, Col. Josiah Parker, ca. 1789, watercolor on ivory, 1 5⁄8 x 1 1⁄4 in. (4.2 x 3.2 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1957.3.3
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Col. Josiah Parker
Artist
Date
ca. 1789
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
1 5⁄8 x 1 1⁄4 in. (4.2 x 3.2 cm) oval
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Occupation — military
  • Dress — uniform — military uniform
  • Portrait male — Parker, Josiah, Col. — bust
Object Number
1957.3.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1957.3.3

Artwork Description

Josiah Parker was a Revolutionary soldier and politician. He served in Virginia under George Washington, becoming a major in 1776 and a colonel the following year. He saw action at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Brandywine. His short temper got the better of him, however, and he resigned from the army in 1778. Thereafter he served as a naval officer for Norfolk, Virginia, and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. As a member of the First Congress, he voted to place the U.S. Capitol on the Potomac. Although he appears in his uniform, it is likely this miniature was painted when Parker took his seat in Congress.