Frederick R. Spencer (American, 1806–1875). <em>Family Group</em>, 1840. Oil on canvas, 29 1/8 x 36 in. (74 x 91.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 57.68 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 57.68_PS2.jpg)

Frederick R. Spencer (American, 1806–1875). Family Group, 1840. Oil on canvas, 29 1/8 x 36 in. (74 x 91.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 57.68 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 57.68_PS2.jpg)

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Can you tell me a little about this, please?

That's a fairly typical family portrait of its period painted by Frederick R. Spencer. The family is posed in their parlor, and the furnishings (like the rug and all the objects on that marble-topped table) show that they are upper-class or upper-middle-class.

We can see the different gender roles through the way the artist has grouped the figures and what they're doing. The mother holds the baby, while the daughter watches, and the two boys are learning to read under their father's supervision.

Do we know much about this family?

We don't know much about them specifically, but we can infer a good deal from their clothing and the decor of the room! They were apparently well-off financially. They most likely lived along the Hudson Valley, where Frederick R. Spencer was active as an artist. The time of year seems to be winter or even Christmas, judging by the greenery in the window!

The figures are linked by their gazes and gestures. If you think of the overall arrangement as a triangle, the father, as patriarch, stands at the top. His elbow points towards his son, also standing, his heir! The mother, daughter, and baby are seated and form their own, more nurturing, triangle-within-a-triangle

A triangle! Brilliant!

All the reds and greens also serve to unite the composition!

Indeed. The colors are amazing! Did this artist paint a good deal of Hudson Valley, do we know?

He was born in Lennox, NY and he lived in Albany, in Utica, and other points upstate but he did end up working mostly in Manhattan, where he belonged to various professional artists' organizations. Our American Art curators think the landscape painting within this painting (towards the right-hand edge) shows the Hudson River area, which would make sense. Spencer didn't seem to venture much beyond New York State.

Family Group

Frederick R. Spencer

American Art

ARTIST Frederick R. Spencer, American, 1806–1875

MEDIUM Oil on canvas

DATES 1840

DIMENSIONS 29 1/8 x 36 in. (74 x 91.4 cm) frame: 40 1/4 x 47 1/4 x 3 7/8 in. (102.2 x 120 x 9.8 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Signed lower right: "Painted by F.R. Spencer / 1840"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 57.68

CREDIT LINE Dick S. Ramsay Fund

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Frederick R. Spencer (American, 1806–1875). Family Group, 1840. Oil on canvas, 29 1/8 x 36 in. (74 x 91.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 57.68 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 57.68_PS2.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 57.68_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions

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