Jeremiah Williams

Christian Gullager, Jeremiah Williams, ca. 1789-1790, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1977.101.1
Christian Gullager, Jeremiah Williams, ca. 1789-1790, oil on canvas, 29 5⁄8 x 24 3⁄4 in. (75.4 x 62.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1977.101.1
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Artwork Details

Title
Jeremiah Williams
Artist
Date
ca. 1789-1790
Location
Dimensions
29 5⁄8 x 24 3⁄4 in. (75.4 x 62.9 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Williams, Jeremiah — waist length
Object Number
1977.101.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1977.101.1

Artwork Description

Jeremiah Williams was a merchant from Roxbury, Massachusetts, who dealt in "a general assortment of West-India Goods," according to the 1789 Massachusetts Centinel. In 1787 he married Matilda Davis, whose father, Caleb Davis, was a significant figure in Boston society. Williams's obituary mentioned his wealthy father-in-law, suggesting that the union with Matilda elevated his own status in society (Sadik, Christian Gullager: Portrait Painter to Federal America, 1976). Christian Gullager painted the young merchant wearing handsome clothing and a stern, imposing expression. The papers in the sitter's hand and books on the table behind were often incorporated into colonial paintings to emphasize the sitter's education and refinement. Williams's portrait projects a social standing that men of his class aspired to, even if they had not yet achieved it.

Works by this artist (12 items)

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Karl Knaths, Untitled, ca. 1939-1940, gouache on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.63R-V
Untitled
Artist
Dateca. 1939-1940
gouache on paper
Not on view
Karl Knaths, Bach, 1953, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Katie and Walter C. Louchheim, 1970.328
Bach
Artist
Date1953
oil on canvas
Not on view
Karl Knaths, Composition, 1936, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from General Services Administration, 1971.447.49
Composition
Artist
Date1936
oil on canvas
Not on view
Karl Knaths, Wisconsin, from the United States Series, ca. 1947, oil on canvas mounted on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.161
Wisconsin, from the United States Series
Artist
Dateca. 1947
oil on canvas mounted on fiberboard
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

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Charmion Von Wiegand, "Nothing that is wrong in principle can be right in practice."--Carl Schurz, 1829-1906. From the series Great Ideas of Western Man., 1966, oil and pencil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.300
“Nothing that is wrong in principle can be right in…
Artist
Date1966
oil and pencil on canvas
On view
William Zorach, Untitled (mural study), ca. 1941-1943, oil, tempera and pencil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Tessim Zorach, 1968.154.87A
Untitled (mural study)
Artist
Dateca. 1941-1943
oil, tempera and pencil on plywood
Not on view
Marguerite Zorach, Builders and Planners (mural study), ca. 1932-1934, oil and pencil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Tessim Zorach, 1970.65.20
Builders and Planners (mural study)
Artist
Dateca. 1932-1934
oil and pencil on canvas
Not on view
Marguerite Zorach, The Fugitive Slave (mural study), ca. 1932, oil and pencil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Tessim Zorach, 1970.65.11
The Fugitive Slave (mural study)
Artist
Dateca. 1932
oil and pencil on canvas
Not on view