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Chinese export

Portrait of Captain Samuel Snow of Providence, RI, wearing the Order of Cincinnati, ca. 1800

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Chinese export

Title

Portrait of Captain Samuel Snow of Providence, RI, wearing the Order of Cincinnati

Year

ca. 1800

Medium

Watercolor on ivory, gold, plaited hair

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • watercolor

Dimensions

6.7 x 5.4 cm (2 5/8 x 2 1/8 inches)

Place

China

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Elizabeth T. & Dorothy N. Casey Fund

Object Number

1998.22

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Raid the Icebox Now with Nicole Eisenman

November 1, 2019 - May 1, 2021

Recent Acquisitions

February 18 - April 16, 2000

As museums consider and prepare for future exhibitions, opportunities arise to acquire relevant works of art, often as word spreads of an institution's growing interest and expertise in a specific area. At the same time, research adds to specialized knowledge that may help curators identify works of art that others have overlooked. In the course of research for an exhibition on the China Trade in Rhode Island, RISD curators were able to help a London art dealer identify the subject of this miniature portrait as Captain Samuel Snow of Providence.

An 1782 graduate of Brown University, officer in the Continental Army (entitling him to wear the prominent badge of the Society of the Cincinnati), and the second U. S. Consul to Canton, Snow was one of Rhode Island's most prominent merchants, but he eventually lost his fortune and died in obscurity. Snow Street in downtown Providence marks the site of his house. Miniature portraits of Americans painted in China are rare, and this is the first object of its kind to enter the Museum's collection. Intended as a keepsake for relatives at home, the back of the locket contains a length of Snow's hair.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of Captain Samuel Snow of Providence, RI, wearing the Order of Cincinnati with the accession number of 1998.22. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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