Mrs. John Dickenson and Her Daughter 1772

Charles Willson Peale painted Mrs. John Dickenson and Her Daughter at an unknown date with oil on canvas. Peale was a renowned American artist, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician, and naturalist. This portrait invites us to consider the social role of art in the context of early America. Peale was not only an artist but also a museum proprietor; his Philadelphia Museum sought to promote natural history and the arts, all with a republican ethos. Here, the artist depicts a woman and her child, her gaze direct and open. In doing so, Peale uses visual codes to communicate ideas about motherhood and the family within the new American republic. Note how the cultivated landscape and the accoutrements of wealth imply the family's social standing, and perhaps allude to the wealth derived from slave labor. Art historians turn to sources like letters, diaries, and account books to better understand the cultural context of artworks like this one.