The Hubbell Children
In this portrait by Ralph Earl, the artist portrays two young children, David Hubbell (1778-1806) and his sister Sarah Hubbell (b. 1781), the children of David and Sarah Hubbell, of Greenfield Hills (now Fairfield), Connecticut. With John Singleton Copley’s American portraits as his early inspiration, Earl spent seven years in England during the war years, where he developed a formal British portrait style. Upon his return to the United States in 1785, Earl spent three years in debtor’s prison in lower Manhattan. Upon his release in January, 1788, he was placed under the guardianship of Dr. Mason Fitch Cogswell, who was from a distinguished Connecticut family. He introduced Earl to the state’s leading families, where the artist received portrait and landscape commissions for the next decade.
In the post-Revolutionary War era, Earl furthered the formation of a national imagery by portraying a segment of American society that had not yet received the attention of a trained and talented artist. Earl succeeded in fashioning a new portrait style that met the needs of his rural, middle class, pietistic Connecticut patrons by simplifying his London portrait style to suit their more provincial aesthetic sensibilities and surroundings. The portrait of David and Sarah Hubbell is an excellent and early example of this style. The artist’s more simplified technique is seen here in the broad brush strokes and brighter color palette, with the inclusion of a local Connecticut landscape setting. Earl created an intimate informal portrayal of affection between the two siblings.
In the post-Revolutionary War era, Earl furthered the formation of a national imagery by portraying a segment of American society that had not yet received the attention of a trained and talented artist. Earl succeeded in fashioning a new portrait style that met the needs of his rural, middle class, pietistic Connecticut patrons by simplifying his London portrait style to suit their more provincial aesthetic sensibilities and surroundings. The portrait of David and Sarah Hubbell is an excellent and early example of this style. The artist’s more simplified technique is seen here in the broad brush strokes and brighter color palette, with the inclusion of a local Connecticut landscape setting. Earl created an intimate informal portrayal of affection between the two siblings.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Hubbell Children
- Artist: Ralph Earl (American, Worcester County, Massachusetts 1751–1801 Bolton, Connecticut)
- Date: 1788
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 37 x 30 in. (94 x 76.2 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Louisa Quintard Lawrence, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.217
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Ralph Earl
1789
Ralph Earl
1783
Ralph Earl
ca. 1791
Ralph Earl
ca. 1783–84
Ralph Earl
1798
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.