"A portrait is a picture in which there is just a tiny little something not quite right about the mouth." -- John Singer Sargent

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Elizabeth Calvert



This 1761 portrait of Elizabeth Calvert by John Hesselius hangs in the Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore Maryland. Elizabeth Calvert (b.1753) was the twin sister of Elanor Calvert.
The subject has dark brown eyes and hair dressed with a bow of ivory colored ribbon. Deep ivory colored satin dress trimmed with white lace. Warm green trees, blue sky and grey clouds. -- Frick Photoarchives
The Frick photoarchives gives this genealogical biography of Elizabeth Calvert.
Elizabeth Calvert (b.1753) was the, daughter of Benedict Calvert, formerly called Benedict Swingate (1724-1788) and his wife, Elizabeth Calvert (1730­-1798) , who was the daughter of Captain Charles Calvert (1688-1733) and Rebecca Gerrard (c.1700-1735). Benedict Calvert of “Mount Airy,” Prince George's County, Maryland, was the natural son of Charles Calvert (1699-1751), Fifth Lord Baltimore, by an unknown mother, possibly a member of the  Razzolini family. Benedict Calvert had considerable wealth and held various public offices. Elizabeth Calvert was apparently the twin of Eleanor Calvert (Mrs. John Parke Custis) (l753-1811). Elizabeth Calvert married, June 15, 1780, Charles Steuart (1748 or 1750-November 18, 1798,1802 or 1822) of Anne Arundel County, the son of Dr. George Steuart (Stewart) (1695-1779), a prominent resident of "Dodon.” South River, Anne Arundel County, and his wife, Ann Digges . Dr. Steuart was a Scotsman who settled in Annapolis about 1730, in whose charge Charles, the fifth Lord Baltimore, placed his son Benedict Swingate (later Calvert) when he was sent to Maryland. Elizabeth Calvert and her husband, Charles Steuart, left issue. -- Frick Photoarchives
Elizabeth Calvert Æ 8
John Heʃselius Pinx.  Maryland
1761
This Ira Martin photo, from the Frick photoarchives, shows the painting before its 1926 restoration by Hammond Smith.

Hesselius's 1761 portraits of Elizabeth Calvert and her twin sister Eleanor flank a door in the Batimore Museum of Art.

1 comment:

  1. Re: Elizabeth Calvert's husband, Charles Steuart - I believe that one of the proposed death dates of 1822 actually is associated with his son, Charles Calvert Steuart, MD. 1822 is the date that his will was written (1 July 1822), but it wasn't probated until 13 Dec 1836 (the Maryland State Archives places his burial 3 Oct 1836). I am not certain as to the date of the older Charles Steuart's death, though I am currently researching it. A genealogical research book written by Gladys Nelker on the Steuart Family gives his year of birth as 1750, and death as 18 Nov 1798. The source she gives for this simply says "Richard Dennis Steuart (Carroll Dulaney)." Richard Dennis Steuart is a direct descendant through Charles Calvert Steuart (Charles Steuart/Elizabeth Calvert --> Charles Calvert Steuart --> William Frederick Steuart --> Richard Estep Steuart --> Richard Dennis Steuart (d. in Baltimore, 1951). I don't know what the Carroll Dulaney reference is in regards to and she sadly doesn't explain in the book itself.

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