Abbott Handerson ThayerAmerican, 1849–1921Townsend Bradley Martin
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Townsend Bradley Martin” now? Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 9A, Washington, D.C. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
Washington, D.C., United States
RoomLuce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 9A
Closed· opens at 11:30 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Townsend Bradley Martin was the grandson of Henry Phipps, the business partner of steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In this portrait sketch of the young boy in a garden, Townsend’s shirt nearly disappears in the foliage. Abbott Thayer was fascinated with natural history, and he developed a theory of natural camouflage that is obvious in his paintings of animals but often creeps into his portraits as well. (Nemerov, “Vanishing Americans: Abbott Thayer, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Attraction of Camouflage,” American Art, Summer 1997)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1950.11.14
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
