Mrs. Philip John Schuyler (Catherine van Rensselaer)

Walter Robertson, Mrs. Philip John Schuyler (Catherine van Rensselaer), ca. 1795, watercolor on ivory, image: 3 ¹⁵⁄₁₆ x 3 ¹⁄₁₆ in. (10.0 x 7.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.43

Free to use

Artwork Details

Title: Mrs. Philip John Schuyler (Catherine van Rensselaer)
Artist: Walter Robertson
Date: ca. 1795
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: image: 3 ¹⁵⁄₁₆ x 3 ¹⁄₁₆ in. (10.0 x 7.8 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Mediums: watercolor
Mediums Description: watercolor on ivory
Classifications: Painting
Miniature
Subjects: Dress — accessory — hat
Portrait female — Schuyler, Philip van Rensselaer, Mrs. — bust
Portrait female — Schuyler, Philip van Rensselaer, Mrs. — elderly
Object Number: 1999.27.43
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.27.43

Artwork Description

The marriage of Catherine van Rensselaer (1734-1803) and Philip Schuyler in 1755 united two of the oldest and most prominent families of Albany, New York. Their home, Schuyler Mansion, is now a landmark. “Kitty,” as she was known, was considered quite a beauty in her youth, but here she is a much older woman. She gave birth to fifteen children, three of whom were born after she had turned forty years old.