On the Terrace

John Henry Twachtman, On the Terrace, ca. 1890-1900, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.143
Copied John Henry Twachtman, On the Terrace, ca. 1890-1900, oil on canvas, 25 1⁄4 x 30 1⁄8 in. (64.1 x 76.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.143
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
On the Terrace
Artist
Date
ca. 1890-1900
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
25 1⁄4 x 30 1⁄8 in. (64.1 x 76.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of John Gellatly
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group — female and child
  • Landscape — garden
  • Architecture — detail — patio
  • Architecture Exterior — domestic — house
Object Number
1929.6.143
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1929.6.143

Artwork Description

John Henry Twachtman settled in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1889 and painted many images of his farm property. This springtime scene shows his wife, Martha, and their children on a terrace bordered by flowers and bathed in soft light. Martha rocks her newborn son while daughters Marjorie and Elsie play quietly by her side. Twachtman wanted the figures in his paintings to appear casual, and here the intimate group evokes a snapshot of family life rather than a formally posed portrait. The crisp white dresses echo the white flowers along the pathway and create an aura of innocence and purity around the young children and their mother.