Willie and Ella Hubard, Children of the Artist
1807-1862
Oil on canvas
30 in x 25 1/8 in
Circa 1848
Label:
Willie and Ella were Hubard’s only surviving children out of six. His portrait of them was both a consolation to his wife, Maria, and also a celebration of the different qualities that were traditionally prized in boys and girls. Willie is strong and gazes into the distance stoically while Ella is gentle and inwardly occupied with the dog, a symbol of fidelity. By fitting them to traditional gender roles and painting them with cherubic yet serious expressions, this portrait situates Willie and Ella as ideal children and heirs.
As Published In:
Romantic Spirits: Nineteenth Century Paintings of the South from the Johnson Collection, 2012
As Exhibited In:
Face to Face: 200 Years of Portraiture from the Johnson Collection, TJC Gallery, Spartanburg, SC, October 19, 2022–January 7, 2023
Romantic Spirits: Nineteenth Century Paintings of the South from the Johnson Collection, Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, GA, March 1–May 26, 2013, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC, January 16–March 23, 2014, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL, April 10–July 6, 2014, Telfair Museums, Savannah, GA, July 25, 2014–February 15, 2015, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC, March 25–May 31, 2015, Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, Blowing Rock, NC, August 8–November 2, 2015, The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, GA, November 22, 2015–March 6, 2016, Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN, August 11–November 6, 2016