Mount Vernon

Date1861

MediumCharcoal and chalk on prepared bristol board

DimensionsSight: 21 1/2 × 27 in. (54.6 × 68.6 cm)

Object numberN0337.1961

Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Gift of Stephen C. Clark

Photograph by Richard Walker

Label TextLucia Jencks may have drawn Mt. Vernon while attending an academy or seminary. It is likely based on an 1859 lithograph by Thomas S. Sinclair and H. Whateley entitled The Two Hundred Acres Purchased by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Jencks' composition differs with the inclusion of tombs at the left and ships on the shoreline. While the execution of such works served to refine the schoolgirls' artistic skills, the choice of subject matter taught them history. Completed at the beginning of the Civil War, the image of the home of the United States' first war hero may have stirred emotional support for the war effort. The shimmering visual effect of marbledust paintings captured the romantic imagination of mid-19th century Americans. Although the vast majority of marbledust paintings are based upon prints, in many cases the artist transcended the published source with a bold, expressive drawing style.

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