Hampton

c. 1868
Attributed to John E. Robertson

Hampton’s fourth master Charles Ridgely (1830-1872) was the second child of John Ridgely (1790-1867) and Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely (1803-1867). He received his early education at the highly regarded Mr. McNally’s school in Baltimore, went briefly to school in Paris in the winter of 1847-1848, and graduated from Harvard University. After his marriage in 1851 to his first cousin Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely (1824-1904), he assumed much of the responsibility for managing the Hampton estate. The painting is signed “Robertson” on the lower right, probably for the Liverpool-born artist John E. Robertson (1820-1879) who was active as a portrait painter in Baltimore in the 1860s.

Oil on canvas. H 76.2, W 64.2 cm
Hampton National Historic Site, HAMP 848