Mary and Mammy

Sarah Eakin Cowan, Mary and Mammy, ca. 1925, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the American Society of Miniature Painters, 1965.30.4
Copied Sarah Eakin Cowan, Mary and Mammy, ca. 1925, watercolor on ivory, sight 5 x 3 3⁄4 in. (12.7 x 9.4 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the American Society of Miniature Painters, 1965.30.4

Artwork Details

Title
Mary and Mammy
Artist
Date
ca. 1925
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 5 x 3 3⁄4 in. (12.7 x 9.4 cm) rectangle
Credit Line
Gift of the American Society of Miniature Painters
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • African American
  • Occupation — domestic — nursemaid
  • Portrait female — unidentified — Mary
Object Number
1965.30.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.30.4

Artwork Description

This miniature shows an African American woman posing with her employer’s child. The title of the portrait evokes a time when black domestic workers were expected to be devoted to the care of white children. The woman’s direct gaze, however, suggests the strength and dignity of an individual who did not define herself through her employer.