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Jeremiah Belknap
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Lacking formal training, Badger got his start painting houses and signs in Boston, then shifted his focus to accommodate the increasing market for portraits in the colonies. Jeremiah Belknap is shown here at about 7 years old, but his attire gives him the appearance of a miniature adult. The artist’s portraits of children often include fruit and animals—the ripening peach in Belknap’s right hand suggests maturation, while the dog at his feet symbolizes loyalty.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineJeremiah Belknap, c. 1758. Joseph Badger (American, 1708–1765). Oil on canvas; framed: 121.9 x 97.2 x 7.6 cm (48 x 38 1/4 x 3 in.); unframed: 107 x 84 cm (42 1/8 x 33 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1919.1016
