William Truman Stoddert Portrait Miniature

This watercolor portrait miniature pictures First Lieutenant William Truman Stoddert of the Maryland Continental Line, who served in the Revolutionary War for six years. The portrait was painted about 1778 by Charles Willson Peale, the most important American artist during the war and a soldier himself. Lieutenant Stoddert probably commissioned this miniature as a gift for his wife, Sarah. Deputy Director and Curator Emily Parsons discusses Stoddert’s military career, the details of the miniature and what it represented for both the sitter and recipient.