Captain Joseph Anthony

Walter Robertson, Captain Joseph Anthony, ca. 1794, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ruel P. Tolman, 1952.12.1
Copied Walter Robertson, Captain Joseph Anthony, ca. 1794, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 342 14 in. (7.05.7 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ruel P. Tolman, 1952.12.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Captain Joseph Anthony
Date
ca. 1794
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 2 342 14 in. (7.05.7 cm) oval
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ruel P. Tolman
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Occupation — military — captain
  • Portrait male — Anthony, Joseph — waist length
Object Number
1952.12.1

Artwork Description

Captain Joseph Anthony (1738-1798) was a prosperous Philadelphia merchant. His son Joseph Jr. became a prominent silversmith, and his son Josiah, a fellow merchant. The miniature of Josiah Hewes Anthony is in this collection [see 1952.12.2]. On the back of Captain Anthony’s miniature is a second painting---a mourning scene, with two female figures holding two bluebirds and a red rose. They sit next to a large funerary urn under a massive tree, a temple behind them in the rolling landscape. The tree and grass are made with clippings of hair, and braided locks---perhaps from the captain himself---adorn the perimeter of the image. This second painting is clearly by a different artist, and was probably added to the miniature after the captain’s death.