Object ID	N0290.1961
Title	Separate Tables
Artist	Davis, Joseph H. (attributed to)
Object Name	Painting
Early Date	ca.1835
Exhibit label line3	Davis's clientele included military officers, farmers, lawyers, schoolmasters and clergymen. In this group portrait of a handsome couple and their two children, Davis placed many refinements of a middle-class society on the tables, including a top hat, two books, a vase of flowers, a quill pen with inkstand and writing paper. Although he sought to record true likenesses, the portraits themselves do not seem to convey the sense of character found in the work of more skilled artists. Husband and wife are stiffly posed, as they gaze unblinkingly into each other's eyes, while their dutifully silent children gather by them. Just as Davis included symbols of a family's role in society, he seems to have made the subjects themselves symbols of refined New Englanders.
Description	Marks: No watermarks found
Classification	Folk Art--Painting/Drawing--Portrait--Human
Dimensions	H-12 W-18 inches
Material	Watercolor, pencil
Place of Origin	Maine or New Hampshire (probably)

Prior written permission is required for any reproduction, redistribution, publication, or other use of the images in any media, including but not limited to, printed or electronic media. Contact the Office of the Registrar, New York State Historical Association, PO Box 800, Cooperstown, NY 13326, (607) 547-1444, to request permission.    
Last modified on: November 04, 2005