Mary Margaret (Pearce) Wood and Two of her Daughters

Maker Francis Wheatley (British, 1747-1801)

SitterSitter: Mary Margaret (Pearce) Wood (British, 1746 - 1808)

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Date1787

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionscanvas: 36 × 28 3/8 in. (91.4 × 72.1 cm.) frame: 43 × 35 1/4 × 4 in. (109.2 × 89.5 × 10.2 cm.)

DescriptionThree figures in a landscape; the mother seated full-length, the daughters standing, one in full view, the other obscured behind her. The mother and standing daughter face eachother, the mother's face in three quarter view turned slightly to the right, the daughter's face in profile turned to the left. The second daughter faces full front from behind her sister.

SignedInitialed and dated lower left: F.W. 1787

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Status

On view

Label TextIn this family portrait, Wheatley focuses attention on domestic affection. Mary Margaretta Wood attentively lowers her book at the approach of one of her daughters, who has just harvested flowers and fruit from a kitchen garden. A second portrait, also in the collection, shows the other half of the family. To connect the two paintings, the artist shows Ralph Winstanley Wood seated at an angle mirroring that of his wife, focusing attention on his son in the same manner that she focuses attention on her daughters.

Bibliography

British paintings at the Huntington

Object number56.22