Susanna Truax
Historical Context
The Gansevoort Limner's portrait of Susanna Truax from 1730 is among the earliest works attributed to this anonymous artist working in the Dutch colonial communities of the upper Hudson Valley. The painting documents the persistence of Dutch cultural identity in New York decades after English colonial administration replaced Dutch rule. The sitter's Dutch name and the portrait's style reflect the continued vitality of Dutch-American culture in the Albany region.
Technical Analysis
The oil on bed ticking—an unusual support that indicates the colonial frontier's limited access to conventional art materials—demonstrates the Gansevoort Limner's bold, direct approach to portraiture. The flat, decorative treatment and strong colors characterize this early Dutch-American portrait tradition.
Provenance
Descended in the family of Andries Truax, [the sitter] Susanna Truax's brother, to Katherine Landon Fuguet until 1946.[1] John P. Kinsey, by whom sold in 1949 (Charles F. Montgomery as agent) to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; by bequest to NGA, 1980. [1] Additional Truax descendants listed in Ownership Detail below are per genealogical notes by Katherine Landon Fuguet, in NGA curatorial files.
