Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Although Bradbury's usual method was to work from sketches, in the case of this painting he used a daguerreotype instead [a copy of which is on the right]. In the 1850s, photography was still rather new and few painters at the time used photographs as a source for their work. In the daguerreotype, there are three children seated in a small carriage that lacks a horse, while in the painting there are four. The Owens had four children: George born in 1843, Lucy born in 1857, William born in 1850, and Isabelle born in 1852. Lucy died at age eight in 1855, so the daguerreotype must have been taken after that date. Bradbury probably included her in the painting at her parent's request.
Bradbury exhibited this painting at the York County Agricultural Fair in October 1857. According to the Maine Democrat of Biddeford,
…we found several oil pictures of decided merit. The large landscape…with a group of children in the foreground painted by Mr. G. E. Bradbury of Buxton, attracted general attention. The group were finely executed portraits of the family of D. M. Owen, Esq. of Saco. For this picture we award $2.00.