Singleton van Buren as a Child

John Carlin, Singleton van Buren as a Child, 1844, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.3
Copied John Carlin, Singleton van Buren as a Child, 1844, watercolor on ivory, image (oval): 2 1⁄4 x 1 3⁄4 in. (5.6 x 4.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.3
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Singleton van Buren as a Child
Artist
Date
1844
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
image (oval): 2 1⁄4 x 1 3⁄4 in. (5.6 x 4.6 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure male — child — bust
  • Portrait male — Van Buren, Singleton — bust
Object Number
1999.27.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.27.3

Artwork Description

Singleton Van Buren (1841-1885) was the grandson of Martin Van Buren, who served as eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. Born the year his grandfather left the White House, Singleton was the oldest child of Angelica Singleton Van Buren, daughter of a wealthy South Carolina merchant and wife of the president’s oldest son. Angelica served as first lady during her father-in-law’s administration, the president’s wife having died in 1819. This portrait shows Singleton as a young boy, around three or four years old.