Portrait of Rachel Donelson Jackson
in the
Pittsylvania County Courthouse
This portrait of Rachel Donelson Jackson, who was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, hangs in the Pittsylvania County Courthouse. The circumstances of the painting's creation are not known to this author.
James G. Barber's 1991 book Andrew Jackson: A Portrait Study
contains a detailed history of likenesses of Rachel Donelson Jackson. Artist Ralph E. W. Earl painted similar portraits of Rachel around 1825, 1827 (Rachel died in 1828), and 1831, all of which are now at the Jacksons' Tennessee home, The Hermitage. (See an example from among this Hermitage portrait collection.) These early Earl images of Rachel Jackson are almost certainly the basis for this Pittsylvania Courthouse painting.
White House portrait of Rachel Donelson Jackson, by Howard Chandler Christy, 1941.
In the 1940's a rendition by English portraitist Howard Chandler Christy showing a more youthful and beautiful Rachel was painted for the White House, and remains there today. It was also based to some extent on the Ralph E. W. Earl images. However, James Barber (see above) commented that the portrayal is more that of movie star Norma Shearer than of Rachel Jackson.
Notes
- Research assistance regarding early portraits and the White House collection was provided by William C. Allman, Curator, The White House.
- Transcribed into digital format by Jonathan C. Mitchell.
- Photographs of the paintings are by the author.
- Yet another portrait of Rachel Donelson Jackson, also based on the Earl originals, is in the collection of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society, Onancock, Virginia (research assistance provided by Herman Melton).
- The author is seeking further information on the origin and circumstances of the Pittsylvania Courthouse portrait of Rachel Jackson. Correspondence is invited at P.O. Box 429, Chatham, VA 24531.
Related Books
(Available from the sponsor.)
Clement: History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Hurt: Eighteenth Century Landmarks of Pittsylvania County
Fitzgerald: Pittsylvania: Homes and People of the Past
This webpage is sponsored by Mitchells Publications.
Copyright © 2006 Henry H. Mitchell.