Alfred Jacob Miller captured Henry Mankin, a formidable Baltimore shipping merchant, in a moment of relaxation with two of his children. The ships of the Mankin family ran between Baltimore and the ports of Europe and Asia, enabling the elegant lifestyle suggested by the sylvan background of this painting. Mankin (1804 – 1876) is shown with his daughters Alice Gardner (1840 –1907) and Sarah (1842 – 1918). Miller completed the painting in 1849, and his account book shows that he was paid $250, considerably more than the slightly earlier portrait of Mankin’s wife and youngest daughter [#8] had cost. -David Park Curry, American Wing Reinstallation 2014