Mary Lightfoot (1750-1789)

Mary Lightfoot was the daughter of William Lightfoot and Mildred Howell Lightfoot of Sandy Point. She later married William Allen of Claremont. This portrait descended in the Allen family. It is unclear exactly when the portrait ended up at Claremont. According to a family history, when the family left Sandy Point the family portrait collection was broken up amongst family.

Reference: “There were many other portraits at the old place, which were scattered among various descendants,” quoted in “The Lightfoot Family.”

Dimensions: (overall) 37 x 32 in. (93.98 x 81.28 cm.)

The subject wears a pink dress with lace trim. She has blue ribbon in her hair. She is turned three-quarters to her right. She holds a porcelain doll, which sits on a table or plinth. The dolls wears a gold sack back dress and beads in her hair and is turned away from the viewer. The subject is inside a painted oval frame.

See: Lyon G. Tyler, “The Lightfoot Family,” William and Mary Quarterly 3, 2 (October 1895): 110.