Name/Title
Portrait of Kate HamptonEntry/Object ID
1972.147.1Description
Oil portrait of a woman on canvas. The young woman is seated facing the viewer's left with her face slightly tilted toward her left. Her gaze is toward the viewer. She wears a low cut dress with puffy sleeves hanging off the shoulder. Her brown hair appears short, but may be pulled back, allowing her ears to be visible.Type of Painting
EaselArtwork Details
Medium
Oil on CanvasSubject Person
Kate HamptonContext
Catherine "Kate" Hampton (1824–1916) was the daughter of Wade Hampton II (1791–1858) and Ann Fitzsimons Hampton (1794–1833). Although she never married, Kate served as a surrogate mother to her niece, Ann Hampton (1844–1878), the daughter of her widowed brother, Christopher "Kit" Hampton (1821–1886). Following the deaths of Kit and Ann years after the Civil War, their possessions were bequeathed to Kate and her sisters.
For most of her early life, Kate lived at Millwood Plantation with her sisters, Harriet (1823–1848), Ann (1826–1914), Caroline (1828–1902), and Mary (1833–1866). The sisters likely faced social repercussions when rumors surfaced about their experiences of sexual abuse by their uncle, James Henry Hammond (1807–1864), governor of South Carolina. None of the sisters married, yet they acted as surrogate mothers to the children of their brothers Kit, Wade III (1818–1902), and Frank (1829–1832). Kate lived in Columbia from 1824 until her passing in 1916 at the age of 92, making her the oldest sibling. She is buried in Trinity Churchyard alongside other family members.Dimensions
Height
31 inWidth
27-3/4 in
