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Phebe Russell Swain Welch

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

c. 1837

Artist:

Sheldon Peck
American, 1797–1868

About this artwork

Sheldon Peck rendered the distinctive likenesses of his two sitters, William and Phebe Welch, using hard-edged lines and modeled forms (see William W. Welch, 1990.100.1). Amid a dark setting, the couple’s intense gazes hold our attention. Their names and dates of birth are inscribed in golden yellow paint, emphasizing their identities. The Welches were among the white settler-colonialists who established homesteads in Illinois in the early 19th century. Beginning in 1834, they lived near Elgin along the Fox River.

Peck likewise has a local history. Born in Vermont, he lived in New York before moving to Babcock’s Grove (today Lombard, Illinois), where he worked as a farmer, portraitist, and social reformer.

Status

On View, Gallery 160

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Sheldon Peck

Title

Phebe Russell Swain Welch

Place

United States (Artist's nationality)

Date

c. 1837

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Signed, middle left: "Phebe Welch / Born AD 1793"

Dimensions

65.4 × 55.3 cm (25 3/4 × 21 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Juli and David Grainger Fund

Reference Number

1990.100.2

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/76166/manifest.json

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 . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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