Child of the Van Rensselaer Family with Servant
This rare double portrait of a White toddler with an unidentified enslaved youth represents the only known naturalistic likeness of a colonial Black resident of Albany, New York. It is strongly attributed to John Heaton, a Scottish-born limner (portraitist) who lived and worked in Albany during the 1730s and 1740s. The striking painting raises questions about the racialized social order of a colonial Dutch American household. According to historical records, enslaved children as young as three were typically “presented” to the son or daughter of their enslaver, a dehumanizing practice that forced the children into an inherently fraught domestic relationship.
Artwork Details
- Title: Child of the Van Rensselaer Family with Servant
- Artist: John Heaton (active 1730–1745)
- Date: ca. 1730
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 45 × 35 in. (114.3 × 88.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Sascha M. Rockefeller, in memory of Rodman C. Rockefeller, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.396
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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