The Children of Homer Ramsdell, Esq. 1842

Thomas Seir Cummings painted this watercolor on ivory of "The Children of Homer Ramsdell, Esq." sometime in the 19th century. Here we see three young children standing on a patio in front of a landscape. These trappings of the upper classes, such as the urn and idyllic background, would have been visually associated with wealth. Consider the conventions of portraiture at this time and the role that institutions, such as the National Academy of Design where Cummings was a founding member, played in shaping artistic careers and expectations. How does the image create meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations? How might it comment on the social structures of its own time? To understand this painting better, we might research the Ramsdell family and consult genealogical records to discover more about their social standing and the artist's biography to learn about his clientele. Only then can we understand art as contingent on social and institutional context.