The image shows five individuals standing closely together in a line. On the left is a man in a dark blue coat with a gold emblem, beige trousers, and black shoes. Next to him is a woman in a black dress with a lace collar. In the center is a young boy in a brown suit with gilt buttons. To the right stands a young girl in a white dress with pink ribbons, and a taller woman in a similar dress holding a parasol. The background shows lush green trees and a clear blue sky.

Dr. John Safford and Family

Reuben Rowley (attributed)

The image shows five individuals standing closely together in a line. On the left is a man in a dark blue coat with a gold emblem, beige trousers, and black shoes. Next to him is a woman in a black dress with a lace collar. In the center is a young boy in a brown suit with gilt buttons. To the right stands a young girl in a white dress with pink ribbons, and a taller woman in a similar dress holding a parasol. The background shows lush green trees and a clear blue sky.

Colors in this work

Details

Artist
Reuben Rowley
Date
c. 1830
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 69.5 x 85 cm (27 3/8 x 33 7/16 in.) framed: 101.6 x 86.3 x 5 cm (40 x 34 x 1 15/16 in.)
Department
CAB
Holding institution
National Gallery of Art
Image provider
national-gallery-of-art
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch

Art Genome Taxonomy

8 tags

Subject Matter

  • Group Portrait Both · 99%

    The image shows five posed figures presented together, and the catalog title identifies the sitters as Dr. John Safford and Family.

  • Portrait Both · 98%

    The composition centers on identifiable human sitters in a formal, posed arrangement; the catalog identifies the work as a named family portrait.

  • Family Both · 97%

    The title identifies the group as a family, and the figures are presented together in a coordinated domestic or familial grouping.

  • Human Figure Visual · 99%

    Five human figures of varying apparent ages occupy the foreground, with clearly rendered faces, bodies, clothing, and accessories.

  • Landscapes Visual · 98%

    Trees, open sky, grassy ground, distant vegetation, and winding paths establish an outdoor landscape setting around the figures.

Visual Qualities

  • Bright and Vivid Colors Visual · 86%

    Saturated greens and blues in the landscape contrast strongly with dark clothing, pale skin tones, and the bright white dresses at right.

Medium and Techniques

  • Oil Painting Metadata · 100%

    The catalog records the medium as oil on canvas.

Time Periods

  • 19th Century Art Metadata · 99%

    The catalog dates the work to circa 1830, placing it within the nineteenth century.

Source & rights

Attributed to Reuben Rowley. Dr. John Safford and Family. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.

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