Seven Generations: Rachel Wears Black
William Whitaker (1943– )
- Medium
United States
ca. 2009
Oil on panel- Merit Award
- Merit Award
"This is a standing portrait of young Rachel wearing her great-great-grandmother’s black dress. Rachel is the daughter of my cousin. Our common ancestor, a Mormon pioneer woman, owned this formal black dress, which has been passed down through the family. When I painted this portrait of Rachel, I thought of her as being connected to her great-great-grandmother through lineage, symbolized by the dress. The portrait has further meaning because black dresses of this kind were worn at funerals in the 19th century and by those mourning deceased family members. Rachel’s father died prematurely, and by depicting her in black, the painting alludes to that. This portrait will remain in the family as a cherished heirloom that binds generations of the Whitaker family together."