Rare and Important Embroidered and Painted Silk Mourning Picture: Betsey Clarke, Miss Patten's School, Hartford, Connecticut, circa 1809

Worked in silk, chenille, paint and pen and ink on silk; inscribed on the glass, Betsey Clarke; and on the monuments.



In the original frame and eglomise mat.

The Collection of Dorothea Scott Adamson; Sotheby's,  sale 5282, lot 350, February 1, 1985;

Childs Gallery Inc., Boston,

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This memorial belongs to a group from an unidentified school, probably in Hartford. Some examples have appliqued shawls or hats; more often the figures are entirely painted, as seen here. At a slightly later date, closely related compositions were painted on silk or paper (see Art in America, May 1954, pp. 136- 137). Betsey Clarke (1791-1568) was the daughter of Thomas Clarke (c. 1752-1809) and Rhoda, of Granville, Massachusetts. Probably she pictured herself with her brother Nathaniel, her stepmother Mary Ensign Clarke
(c.1763- 1851), and her half brother Thomas, about five years old. Betsey married Jonathan Barber Bancroft (1781-1870) , as his second wife, in January 1816.