Miss Satterlee

Charles Bird King, Miss Satterlee, ca. 1830-1839, oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Albert M. Pitcher, Jr., 1976.117
Charles Bird King, Miss Satterlee, ca. 1830-1839, oil on wood, 17 5814 18 in. (44.835.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Albert M. Pitcher, Jr., 1976.117
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Miss Satterlee
Date
ca. 1830-1839
Dimensions
17 5814 18 in. (44.835.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Albert M. Pitcher, Jr.
Mediums Description
oil on wood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — Satterlee, Miss — bust
  • Animal — bird — parrot
Object Number
1976.117

Artwork Description

Miss Satterlee sat for Charles Bird King in his Washington studio. Her pet golden pheasant grips her forefinger and thumb, its elegant body mirroring the shape of her delicate hand. For a painter of his time, King made a rather daring choice in positioning the bird to call attention to Miss Satterlee’s bosom. Her fashionable clothing, intricate hairstyle, and fair, unblemished skin suggest that she, like her pet, lived a sheltered and protected life.

Works by this artist (3 items)

Benjamin West, Mary Hopkinson, ca. 1764, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, George Buchanan Coale Collection, 1926.6.1
Mary Hopkinson
Artist
Dateca. 1764
oil on canvas
On view
Benjamin West, Self-Portrait, 1819, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Capitol, 1917.2.3
Self-Portrait
Date1819
oil on paperboard
Not on view
Benjamin West, Helen Brought to Paris, 1776, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1969.33
Helen Brought to Paris
Date1776
oil on canvas
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Oliver Tarbell Eddy, Self-Portrait, ca. 1850, oil on tin, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ralph and Bobbi Terkowitz, 2019.6.3
Self-Portrait
Dateca. 1850
oil on tin
Not on view
Jacob Maentel, Portrait of Elizabeth Sweitzer Musser, ca. 1826, watercolor and pen and ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ralph and Bobbi Terkowitz, 2019.6.5
Portrait of Elizabeth Sweitzer Musser
Dateca. 1826
watercolor and pen and ink on paper
Not on view
Jacob Maentel, Portrait of Adam Musser, ca. 1822, watercolor and pen and ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ralph and Bobbi Terkowitz, 2019.6.9
Portrait of Adam Musser
Dateca. 1822
watercolor and pen and ink on paper
Not on view
Ammi Phillips, Portrait of Helen (Lena) Ten Broeck, 1834, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ralph and Bobbi Terkowitz, 2019.6.10
Portrait of Helen (Lena) Ten Broeck
Date1834
oil on canvas
On view