Watson Van Benthuysen II and Thomas Van Benthuysen 1834 - 1840

Aramenta Dianthe Vail painted this watercolor on ivory portrait of two young brothers. Though undated, the cultural codes embedded within the piece can tell us much about its context. Looking at the clothing, the neatly cropped hair and the carefully posed figures, it is clear that these boys come from a wealthy family. Wealth is further emphasized by the neo-classical garden setting, and the display of leisure time, spent with their pet dog and playing with a book of botanical illustrations. This is the United States, likely in the 1840s. Aramenta Dianthe Vail was a working artist, and while many women artists were limited to domestic scenes or floral arrangements, Vail was a successful portraitist. Her success speaks to an increased demand for art among the rising merchant classes, and a market that could support a woman artist. To understand this work better, one could research Vail's biography, the history of portraiture in the United States, or the clothing and leisure activities of children in this period. This would help us understand not just the image, but its place within the broader social history of the time.