ticketsMember | Make a donation

Christmas-Time, The Blodgett Family

Eastman Johnson American
1864
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 762
This portrait shows the family of William Tilden Blodgett (1823–1875), a leading collector, founding trustee of The Met, and active abolitionist, in the Renaissance Revival parlor of their house on West Twenty-Fifth Street in New York City. Painted during the political and moral upheaval of the Civil War, the serene interior, decorated for Christmas, embodies "the best sentiment of home," as a critic observed in 1865. Only the toy of a caricatured Black male dancer, handled by the young boy and the center of the family’s attention, evokes the pressing racial issues of the time.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Christmas-Time, The Blodgett Family
  • Artist: Eastman Johnson (American, Lovell, Maine 1824–1906 New York)
  • Date: 1864
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 30 x 25in. (76.2 x 63.5cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Whitney Blodgett, 1983
  • Object Number: 1983.486
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
A Fisherman, Eastman Johnson American, Brown inks on tan-color sized canvas, American
A Fisherman
Eastman Johnson
Sanford Robinson Gifford, Eastman Johnson American, Oil on academy board, American
Sanford Robinson Gifford
Eastman Johnson
1880
Husking
Multiple artists/makers
1861
Helen and Margaret Folsom
Multiple artists/makers
1851–53
George Folsom
Eastman Johnson
George Folsom
1851–53

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.