Frederic De Peyster

George Edwin Bissell, Frederic De Peyster, modeled ca. 1875, bronze, 12117 in. (30.427.917.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Watts De Peyster, XX78
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Frederic De Peyster
Founder
E. Gruet Jeune
Date
modeled ca. 1875
Dimensions
12117 in. (30.427.917.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John Watts De Peyster
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — military — colonel
  • Occupation — law — lawyer
  • Occupation — other — philanthropist
  • Portrait male — De Peyster, Frederic — bust
Object Number
XX78

Artwork Description

Frederic De Peyster (1796-1882) was a graduate of Columbia College and a member of the New York Bar. In 1837 he inherited such a great fortune that he devoted the rest of his life to charitable causes. At the time of his death the “industrious pamphleteer and popular speaker” was president of the New-York Historical Society and the New York Society Library. This animated portrait was commissioned posthumously by the lawyer’s son John. De Peyster’s clenched jaw and furrowed brow convey the determination and integrity noted in memorial tributes at the time of his death.

Works by this artist (2 items)

Laura Wheeler Waring, Portrait of a Lady, 1947, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Vincent Melzac, 1977.121
Portrait of a Lady
Date1947
oil on canvas
Not on view
Laura Wheeler Waring, Anna Washington Derry, 1927, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.91.1
Anna Washington Derry
Date1927
oil on canvas
Not on view

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