Jeremiah Belknap

c. 1758

Joseph Badger

(American, 1708–1765)

Culture

America

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Framed: 121.9 x 97.2 x 7.6 cm (48 x 38 1/4 x 3 in.); Unframed: 107 x 84 cm (42 1/8 x 33 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1919.1016

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Location

204 Colonial American

Did You Know?

Badger was also a glazier, a tradesman who fits glass into doors and windows.

Description

Lacking formal training, Badger got his start painting houses and signs in Boston, then shifted his focus to accommodate the increasing market for portraits in the colonies. Jeremiah Belknap is shown here at about 7 years old, but his attire gives him the appearance of a miniature adult. The artist’s portraits of children often include fruit and animals—the ripening peach in Belknap’s right hand suggests maturation, while the dog at his feet symbolizes loyalty.