Painting

Title:

Ruth Porter Custer

Object Name:

Painting

Object ID:

1957.058.01

Creator:

Custer, Edward L. (1837-1881)Artist

Place of Origin:

Boston, MA

Date:

1873

Description:

Portrait of Ruth Ann Porter Custer (1834-1878), by Edward L. Custer (1837-1881), 1873. Oil on paper on canvas. Half-length portrait of a woman, facing left; sitter's face slightly left. Sitter has brown hair in coronet braid and blue eyes. She is wearing a yellow dress with brass buttons and full sleeves, lace frill collar, and gold circular brooch. Background blue sky with gray clouds. Singed in red monogram left center: "ELC / 1873." Gilded gesso over wood frame, reeded center molding, circles in cove. Paper document attached to back of canvas in upper right corner: Printed: "TREMONT TEMPLE, BOSTON / Handwritten: "This portrait of Mrs. Ruth A Cust[er] / formerly of Manchester N. [H] / property of W[endell] G. Corthell / to whom it was bequeath[ed] / who died / 1890 / ed to Mrs. Etta L. Ham[ilton] / in her possessio[n] / his death it is / ly to Anna Custer / sister Mrs Lena Cus[ter] / H I / of N."

Material:

Paper
Textile
Canvas

Dimensions:

H-27 W-22 inches

Provenance:

Mary Pettengill Field was the daughter of Henry and Clara (Porter) Pettengill. Clara Porter was the daughter of Eleazer and Caroline (Elkins) Porter. Eleazer Porter was the younger brother of Francis Porter, the father of Ruth Anne Porter Custer.

Ruth Ann Porter Custer (1838-1878) was the wife of the artist, Edward L. Custer.

Credit Line:

Bequest of Mary Pettengill Field

People:

Custer, Edward L. (1837-1881), Custer, Ruth A. (1834-1878), Field, Mary Pettengill (1866-1957)

Subjects:

Portraits, Portrait paintings, Spouses