(Four Ridgely Cousins on the Hampton Estate with the Mansion's Cupola in the Background)
John Carlin
1856
Although to our modern eyes some of the children in this painting may appear to be girls due to their clothing, all the individuals depicted are boys. John Ridgely (1851-1938) and his brother Charles Ridgely (1853-1873) (on the right) are shown with their first cousins Henry White II (1850-1927) and Julian Leroy White (1853-1923), enjoying the pastimes provided by the countryside around the Hampton estate. The mansion's cupola can be seen in the background of the painting. All four boys were grandsons of John and Eliza Ridgely. Henry, the eldest, grew up to be a prominent diplomat, as the US ambassador to Italy and France and a member of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace in Paris at the end of World War I.
Oil on canvas. H 49.8, W 60.9 cm
Hampton National Historic Site, HAMP 1128