About this artwork
Painted sometime after Rembrandt Peale’s 1803 return from London and before his 1808 trip to Paris, this sensitively rendered portrait marks a concerted effort by Peale to expand his repertory to include female subjects. Abigail Inskeep Bradford belonged to a prestigious Philadelphia family; her father served as the city’s mayor (1800–01 and 1805–06) and her brother, John Inskeep, presided over a successful publishing business. Unlike Peale’s portrait of her husband, Samuel Fisher Bradford, in this work Abigail looks away from the viewer, avoiding a direct gaze. This subtle positioning followed social convention of the time, which demanded women be discreet in public and maintain distance from mundane worldly concerns.
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On View
- American Art, Gallery 172
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Artist
- Rembrandt Peale
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Title
- Abigail Inskeep Bradford
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Origin
- United States
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Date
- 1803–1808
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Medium
- Oil on canvas
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Dimensions
- 68.6 × 55.9 cm (27 × 22 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Herbert A. Vance
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Reference Number
- 2000.339
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email .
