Lilly Martin Spencer

1822–1902

Family self-portrait, about 1851–1852. Detail.

Born in England, Spencer moved with her family to Ohio in 1833 and received little formal training. In New York her painting supported a large household; her husband left tailoring to assist her and care for their children. Reproductive prints extended her popular audience.

Paintings and other works

Lilly Martin Spencer

Young Husband: First Marketing

1854

Tours featuring this artist

Love, marriage and encounters
Women painters. Learning and working

All tours

Sources

Source · americanart.si.edu
Source · www.metmuseum.org
Portrait attribution

Lilly Martin Spencer · Maria DeWitt Jesup and Morris K. Jesup Funds, 1998 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0 1.0 / Public Domain Portrait source · Licence