The Wiley Family
Can I see it?
Unknown
Where is “The Wiley Family” now? Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Unknown.
Washington, D.C., United States
The owner is known; whether it is on view today is not.
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
The Wiley family owned the largest distillery in New York City during the years surrounding the Revolutionary War. John Wiley, depicted in this group portrait with his mother and sisters, took over the distillery business after his father’s death and became a successful merchant in his own right, operating a fleet of commercial ships. His older sister, elegantly dressed for the occasion, holds on her arm a tame squirrel-- a symbol of her decorum and her suitability for marriage. The younger daughter, like many teenage girls, looks as though she’d rather be anywhere but with her family. In the distance is a fanciful view of lower Manhattan. The presentation of colonial life as prosperous and idyllic reminds us of how eager the family was to see themselves as old world aristocrats in a new world setting.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 2006.12.2
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
