Artwork
Samuel Beals Thomas, with His Wife, Sarah Kellogg Thomas, and Their Two Daughters, Abigail and Pauline
Samuel Beals Thomas, with His Wife, Sarah Kellogg Thomas, and Their Two Daughters, Abigail and Pauline is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Edward Dalton Marchant. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The oil painting, created in 1830, portrays Samuel Beals Thomas, his wife Sarah Kellogg Thomas, and their daughters Abigail and Pauline.
About this work
Overview
The oil painting, created in 1830, portrays Samuel Beals Thomas, his wife Sarah Kellogg Thomas, and their daughters Abigail and Pauline. The family is arranged within an interior setting, the father in a dark suit on the left, the mother and children seated to his right. A fireplace, decorative vases, and a framed picture form the backdrop, lending a domestic yet formal atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work records a moment of familial poise, emphasizing the social standing of the Thomas household through refined dress and composed poses. Sarah’s white head covering and the children’s attire signal modest elegance, while the inclusion of domestic furnishings suggests stability and prosperity within the early nineteenth‑century New England context.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the portrait reflects the American folk art tradition, characterized by a straightforward, unembellished rendering of figures and interior details. The brushwork is modestly detailed, with attention to texture in fabrics and furnishings, yet the overall composition remains flat and direct, typical of self‑taught artists transitioning toward professional portraiture.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced by Edward Dalton Marchant, an American artist who began his career as a house painter and briefly studied under Gilbert Stuart in 1825. After establishing a portrait studio in his native Edgartown, Massachusetts, Marchant created this family portrait. It now belongs to the collection of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edward Dalton Marchant (1806-1887), also known as Edward D. Marchant and E. D. Marchant, was an American artist. He was born in Edgartown, Massachusetts in 1806. Largely self-taught, Marchant began his career as a house…
Museum
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
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