ticketsMember | Make a donation

Mrs. Francis Brinley and Her Son Francis

John Smibert American, Scottish
1729
Not on view
Born Deborah Lyde, Mrs. Francis Brinley (1698–1761) was the daughter of Edward and Catherine Lyde and the granddaughter of Judge Nathaniel Byfield (see portrait by Smibert, 24.109.87). When she married Francis Brinley in 1718, she was a woman of wealth and social prominence. An entry in Smibert's notebook dated May 1729 identifies the infant as the Brinley's son Francis (1729–1816). Mrs. Brinley holds a sprig of orange blossoms, a gesture which may have been taken from an eighteenth-century print by Sir Peter Lely. The white orange blossom symbolizes both marriage and purity, while the fruit, a sign of fertility, emphasizes Mrs. Brinley's role as a mother. Orange trees, although fashionable in Europe, were expensive rarities in the colonies. The presence of one here reinforces the sitter's wealth. Smibert also painted a portrait of Mrs. Brinley's husband (62.79.1).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mrs. Francis Brinley and Her Son Francis
  • Artist: John Smibert (American, Edinburgh, Scotland 1688–1751 Boston, Massachusetts)
  • Date: 1729
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 50 x 39 1/4 in. (127 x 99.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1962
  • Object Number: 62.79.2
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Nathaniel Byfield
John Smibert
1730
Portrait of a Man, John Smibert American, Scottish, Oil on canvas, American
Portrait of a Man
John Smibert
Sir Godfrey Kneller
ca. 1720–30
Hannah Pemberton, John Smibert American, Scottish, Oil on canvas, American
Hannah Pemberton
John Smibert
1734
Francis Brinley, John Smibert American, Scottish, Oil on canvas, American
Francis Brinley
John Smibert
1729
Daniel Crommelin Verplanck, John Singleton Copley American, Oil on canvas, American
Daniel Crommelin Verplanck
John Singleton Copley
1771

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 6

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.