Painting

Title:

Sarah Thompson

Object Name:

Painting

Object ID:

1969.079.03

Creator:

Ames, Joseph (1816-1872)Artist

Date:

circa 1855

Description:

Portrait of Countess Rumford, Sarah Thompson (1774-1852), by Joseph Ames (1816-1872), c. 1855. Oil on canvas. Half-length portrait of woman, facing right; eyes turned toward viewer. She is wearing a long sleeve white dress with low v-shaped neckline, lace ruffles at neckline and cuffs, and a pink shawl. She has long brown hair with sheer white headband knotted at top; brown eyes. Sitter's hands crossed in front of her; a folded fan hanging from her right hand. Red curtain in background with opening at right of center revealing view of a landscape with a large building (New Hampshire State Hospital), and cloudy sky. Several pencilled inscriptions on reverse: "Countess Rumford Ames" on stretcher and "Ames" twice on frame. Gilded gesso over wood frame, exterior foliate and floral scrolls, plain molded cove with flora scroll interior. Nameplate at center bottom: "Countess Rumford".

Material:

Textile
Canvas

Dimensions:

H-36.1 W-30.25 inches

Provenance:

On her death in Concord in 1852, Countess Rumford bequeathed $15,000 to the New Hampshire Asylum for the Insane. The building in the background of this portrait is the hospital (opened in 1842) as it is believed to have looked after 1855 when the Rumford Wing at left was built.

Credit Line:

Anonymous Gift

People:

Thompson, Sarah (1774-1852), Rumford, Ames, Joseph (1816-1872)

Subjects:

Thompson, Sarah, Mental health, Mental health care, Medicine, Philanthropists, Philanthropy