REBECCA ELIZABETH TUCKER COLES
William J. Coffee (1774 - 1846)
1818-1819
Albemarle County, VA
Terra cotta
HOA: 11-7/8”, WOA: 7-1/4”
Loan courtesy of the Children of Decca G Frackleton (acc. 5396)
In 1817 the English-born sculptor William J. Coffee traveled to Virginia to cultivate a relationship with Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1726) and to begin a three-year career sculpting the busts of prominent Virginians. Coffee’s clients included two presidents, Jefferson and James Madison (1751 - 1836), as well as other members of the Jefferson and Madison families. This bust depicts Rebecca Elizabeth Tucker Coles (1750 - 1826), who lived at Enniscorthy Plantation in Albemarle County. In addition to her own image, Coffee was commissioned to create the busts of at least three of her sons: John Coles III (1774 - 1848) of Estouteville Plantation and Isaac (1780 - 1841) and Walter Coles (1772 - 1854) of Enniscorthy, making Mrs. Coles one of Coffee’s most avid patrons.
