Jeremiah Williams
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Jeremiah Williams” now? Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 1A, Washington, D.C. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
Washington, D.C., United States
RoomLuce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 1A
Closing soon· until 7:00 PM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Jeremiah Williams was a merchant from Roxbury, Massachusetts, who dealt in "a general assortment of West-India Goods," according to the 1789 Massachusetts Centinel. In 1787 he married Matilda Davis, whose father, Caleb Davis, was a significant figure in Boston society. Williams's obituary mentioned his wealthy father-in-law, suggesting that the union with Matilda elevated his own status in society (Sadik, Christian Gullager: Portrait Painter to Federal America, 1976). Christian Gullager painted the young merchant wearing handsome clothing and a stern, imposing expression. The papers in the sitter's hand and books on the table behind were often incorporated into colonial paintings to emphasize the sitter's education and refinement. Williams's portrait projects a social standing that men of his class aspired to, even if they had not yet achieved it.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1977.101.1
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
