"THE BURNING OF THE PEGGY STEWART"
(Click on picture to enlarge)
The original painting, "The Burning of the Peggy Stewart", measures 72 by 57.5 inches and hangs in the State House in Annapolis . The original was painted by Francis Blackwell Mayer in 1896. Born in Baltimore in 1827, the artist became a well-known painter in Baltimore and specialized in American Historical events. He died in Annapolis in 1899.
A large mural depicting the "Burning of the Peggy Stewart", painted by Charles Yardley Turner, appears in the lobby of the Baltimore City Court House.
With the support of the Warfield family, the Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter House in Roland Park has restored a copy of the F. B. Mayer painting of "The Burning of the Peggy Stewart" that hangs in the State House in Annapolis. The copy, which hangs in the DAR and measures 47.5 by 35.5 inches, was signed: "Katherine Walton, After F.B. Mayer, 1911."
The restored painting was unveiled in a ceremony at the Maryland State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Chapter House on October 9, 2005. To schedule an appointment to see the restored painting and other paintings as well, please contact the DAR Chapter House. The address for the DAR Chapter House is 4701 Roland Avenue, Baltimore , Maryland (Tel: 419-889-2164).
The Artist
Katherine Kent Walton (1898-1928) was a descendant of Maryland's first governor and studied art at the Maryland Institute. Working primarily as a portraitist and miniaturist, she restored old paintings at the US Naval Academy and was a member of the Charcoal Club. She is listed in Chris Pettey's 1985 Dictionary of Women Artists.
Images of five of Katherine Walton's portraits appear in the State House and Maryland State Archives. One is hanging in the Governor's office.
- Robert Bowie, 1906
- Matthew Tilghman, 1906
- James Ryder Randall, 1909
- Oden Bowie, 1912
- Francis Scott Key, 1912
The digital copy of "The Burning of the Peggy Stewart", which appears in this website, represents a high-resolution digital scanning copy of Katherine Walton's restored painting.
The Restoration
Katherine Walton's copy of F.B. Mayer's "The Burning of the Peggy Stewart" was restored by artist Sylvia James George over a six month period in 2005.
Sylvia George studied at the Pratt Institute in New York City , where she received a BA degree in Fine Arts. She has specialized in both portraiture and restoration art. Her commissions now number in the thousands and "word of mouth" has spread her reputation "around the world". Perhaps her most famous painting is "JFK in Rocker", which is in the permanent collection of the Kennedy Library in Boston. She is a member of numerous art societies and forums including the American Institute of Conservation and Restoration. In her Savage Mill studio, outside Baltimore, she has restored many museum quality works of art and developed a loyal following from repeat customers as far away as Belgium, with a devoted following from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
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