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Portrait of Mary Donaldson Yeates

c. 1719
Attributed to Evert Duyckinck III (American, 1677–1727)
Significant as one of the earliest portraits of an identifiable woman living in the Delaware Valley (a large area that spans counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland), this painting depicts Mary Donaldson Yeates (1696–c. 1758), a member of a prominent colonial family. Although Mary was born in New York, the Donaldson family’s primary residence was in New Castle County, Delaware, where they owned land. The land was bequeathed to Mary on her father’s death in 1702 and, after her marriage to New Castle resident George Yeates in 1719, the couple lived on the large estate. George was a gentleman farmer who, along with other members of his family, acquired much land in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Object Details

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