Portrait of Mary Videau (Marion) Yeadon and Eliza Catherine Palmer
Eliza Palmer is pictured standing behind her seated aunt and adopted mother. Letters reveal that Eliza enjoyed a close relationship with her mother of birth, Catherine, who she referred to as “Mamma”, and her adopted mother and aunt, Mary Videau, who she referred to as “Mother”.
ARTIST: The artist responsible for this painting has yet to be positively identified, however some experts feel it is possibly the work of William Harrison Scarborough. Scarborough painted prolificly in South Carolina, including several relatives of the Yeadons, and there are shared stylistic characteristics with his other works.
RELATED OBJECTS: The MESDA Collection holds seven quilts made by Mary Videau (Marion) Yeadon, her sister Catherine Couturier (Marion) Palmer, and their mother Harriet (Kirk) Marion. Remnant pieces of chintz fabric used for making quilts, as well as individual appliqued quilt squares descended in the family of Mary Videau Yeadon and are in the MESDA Collection. There is also an album quilt made by Mary Videau Yeadon in the collection of the International Quilt Museum.
DESCRIPTION: Large oil on canvas portrait of Mary Videau Marion Yeadon and her adopted daughter, Eliza Catherine Palmer. Mary Videau is seated on a red upholstered settee and she is holding the hand of Eliza who is standing behind her. A red fringed curtain dominates the background with a pictorial landscape visible on the side. Mary Videau wears a fashionable blue dress, possibly silk, with a fitted bodice and full skirt. Her sleeves are ruched and fitted until just above the elbow, where they are full, ending with a fitted white lace cuff. The neckline has a wide lace collar fastened with what is likely a micro mosaic pin featuring a bird and floral design. She wears a gold chatelaine pinned to her dress with a gold and aquamarine colored brooch. Eliza wears an off the shoulder white lace dress and embroidered pantaloons with black shoes and white socks. Her gold capulets cinch the dresses short, full sleeves.
