1864 Christmas at the Blodgett Home

William Tilden Blodgett was busy man, especially during the Civil War years. A businessman in New York City, he helped to found the Union League in that metropolis and actively helped to organize and fundraise for the United States Sanitary Commission. 1864 must have been a particularly hurried year since some of the largest fundraising fairs for the Sanitary Commission were hosted as major social and military events that year. Through his administrative guidance, more than one million dollars went to the Union war effort, fundraised through the Sanitary Commission.

In addition to his efforts to support the Union cause, Blodgett also patronized the arts. His collection of American and European works would later help to form a strong base for the Metropolitan Art Museum. However, around 1864, Blodgett commissioned a rising artist named Eastman Johnson to paint a scene of his family—at home, celebrating Christmas. For the first time, Johnson had been commissioned to create a requested painting.

The scene Blodgett commissioned did not directly reflect his patriotic work. Instead, it pictured the delight of his children at home on Christmas. The parents look on with fond, proud expressions as the young ones explore and play with a new toy. A wreath hangs high above them, and a Christmas tree appears in the shadow of the parlor. It’s 1864 according to the title of the painting, but the war seems far away as the home-joys of Christmas fill this scene.

Wishing you a Christmas weekend of pausing in the busyness to enjoy time with family or friends! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Sources:

“Christmas Time, The Blodgett Family”, The Met: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11258

In memoriam. William Tilden Blodgett. Accessed through HathiTrust: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102367300