The Wiley Family

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Artist: William Williams (American, 1727–1791)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 36 x 47 1/2 in. (91.4 x 120.7 cm)
Museum: Smithsonian Institution
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

The Wiley family owned the largest distillery in New York City during the years surrounding the Revolutionary War. John Wiley, depicted in this group portrait with his mother and sisters, took over the distillery business after his father’s death and became a successful merchant in his own right, operating a fleet of commercial ships.

His older sister, elegantly dressed for the occasion, holds on her arm a tame squirrel-- a symbol of her decorum and her suitability for marriage. The younger daughter, like many teenage girls, looks as though she’d rather be anywhere but with her family. In the distance is a fanciful view of lower Manhattan. The presentation of colonial life as prosperous and idyllic reminds us of how eager the family was to see themselves as old world aristocrats in a new world setting.