General John Cadwalader

Copied Charles Willson Peale, General John Cadwalader, ca. 1788, watercolor on ivory, sight 1 1⁄2 x 1 1⁄4 x 1⁄4 in. (3.9 x 3.2 x 0.5 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.30
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
General John Cadwalader
Artist
Date
ca. 1788
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 1 1⁄2 x 1 1⁄4 x 1⁄4 in. (3.9 x 3.2 x 0.5 cm) oval
Credit Line
Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — military — general
  • Portrait male — Cadwalader, John — bust
Object Number
1999.27.30
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.27.30

Artwork Description

During the Revolutionary War, General John Cadwalader (1742-1786) commanded troops at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and Princeton. He was much admired by his close friend General George Washington, who referred to him as "a military genius." Washington offered Cadwalader the position of Continental brigadier general, but his friend declined, preferring to become a state legislator in Maryland after the war. When Charles Willson Peale painted Cadwalader's likeness, it was intended to ornament a woman's bracelet, and in fact the original fittings for an ornamental band---similar to today's watchbands---are visible along the sides of the miniature's case.