Portrait of a Child of the Harmon Family

Brooklyn Museum photograph
Caption
American. Portrait of a Child of the Harmon Family, ca. 1840s. Oil on canvas, 28 x 23 3/4in. (71.1 x 60.3cm) frame: 38 × 34 × 2 in. (96.5 × 86.4 × 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jason Berger, 1999.111.1. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1999.111.1_transpc002.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Portrait of a Child of the Harmon Family
Date
ca. 1840s
Medium
Oil on canvas
Classification
Dimensions
28 x 23 3/4in. (71.1 x 60.3cm) frame: 38 × 34 × 2 in. (96.5 × 86.4 × 5.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jason Berger
Accession Number
1999.111.1
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Why is a kid so young holding a hammer and where is he?
The hammer in his hand is a device used in portraiture to show the qualities or aspirations of the sitter. The hammer, specifically, shows that this child was going to have a career outside of the home. It would also have reflected the toys children commonly had at the time, which helped them learn about adult responsibilities. He is sitting on a chair with a curtain draped in the background. This type of setting was typical of portraits at the time. It doesn't really suggest a specific space, but still conveys some information to the viewer about the sitter's wealth and status.Thanks
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