George Washington Rodgers

This miniature shows the naval officer George Washington Rodgers and was probably painted to commemorate his promotion to captain in 1825. While serving in Buenos Aires in 1832, he fell mortally ill with a “visceral inflammation” and was buried there. His body was later exhumed and reburied alongside that of his wife, Ann Perry, in New London, Connecticut. In this miniature, Rodgers’s stiff stock, high collar, and elaborately tied cravat suggest he is dressed for a formal military event. The portrait of Ann is also in this collection.