Rachel Bartholomew Davis

James Alexander Simpson, Rachel Bartholomew Davis, ca. 1815, oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Allen Little, 1976.32.1
Copied James Alexander Simpson, Rachel Bartholomew Davis, ca. 1815, oil on wood, 14 7⁄8 x 12 1⁄8 in. (37.8 x 30.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Allen Little, 1976.32.1
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Artwork Details

Title
Rachel Bartholomew Davis
Artist
Date
ca. 1815
Location
Dimensions
14 7⁄8 x 12 1⁄8 in. (37.8 x 30.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Allen Little
Mediums Description
oil on wood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — Davis, Rachel Bartholomew — waist length
Object Number
1976.32.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1976.32.1

Artwork Description

James Alexander Simpson taught art classes at Georgetown College and created portraits of the Washington elite. He made this portrait of Rachel Bartholomew Davis in the same year that he painted her husband, Thomas Davis, possibly on the occasion of their marriage. Rachel’s pose mirrors her husband’s, and Simpson painted the two figures so that their paintings might be hung facing one another. Rachel’s curls and rosy cheeks emphasize her youth and innocence as she enters into married life.