Catherine Bedle Hendrickson

Periodca. 1850 - 1855

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions39.25 × 33.4 in. (99.7 × 84.8 cm)

ClassificationsPortraits

Credit LineGift of Dr. Daniel D. Hendrickson, 1935

Object number882

DescriptionLarge elderly woman wearing a black dress, lace collar, and white day cap. She is holding a white cloth in her right hand. A gold drapery is depicted along the right edge of the canvas, and an imaginary landscape on the left.
Curatorial RemarksCatherine’s portrait demonstrates how brutally objective Jenkins could sometimes be as an artist. He rarely flattered his subjects, including even a small blemish on the left cheek of her face. This is the only work by Jenkins in the Association’s collection with gold drapery and cord behind the sitter instead of his more customary use of red fabric. NotesCatherine Bedle Hendrickson (1787 - 1859) was a daughter of Thomas Bedle and Amy Herbert of Monmouth County, and wife of Capt. Daniel D. Hendrickson. According to the Association’s early accession records, the donor recalled that this portrait and that of her husband were painted by Harvey Jenkins. A studio photograph of the artist accompanied the gift. The donor was their grandson.

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