"Sallie Ward Greets Soldiers Returning to Louisville " Lot no. 376
By Alice Barber Stephens (American- 1858-1932)
1901 (Estimated)
24.00" x 17.50"
Oil en Grisaille on Board
Signed Lower Right
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Sallie Ward, Kentucky Belle, greets soldiers returning from the Mexican War to Louisville, Kentucky.
Illustrating the article “The Loveliest of All Kentucky Girls” by William Perrine for the Ladies’ Home Journal, published March 1901, page 11.
Alice Barber Stephens’ oil en grisaille painting immortalizes the Kentucky belle, Sallie Ward, welcoming soldiers returning home from the Mexican War to Louisville. Created for a 1901 Ladies' Home Journal article, part of a series celebrating historical beauties, the image is accompanied by the caption: "They greeted her with a tumultuous joy as she received them seated on her horse with all the majesty of a young empress."
Sallie Ward Lawrence Hunt Armstrong Downs, a prominent 19th-century Kentucky socialite, was famed for her beauty, charm, and bold fashion choices, reflecting her independent spirit. Born into one of Kentucky’s most esteemed families, her father Robert Johnson Ward was Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Her first marriage, to Timothy Bigelow Lawrence, ended in divorce within a year, reportedly due to her nonconformist style clashing with his conservative Massachusetts circle. Sallie then embraced a life of opulence in New Orleans with her second husband, Dr. Robert P. Hunt, hosting lavish gatherings in their grand residence. The Civil War, however, divided the couple, with Sallie supporting Lincoln and Dr. Hunt aligning with the Confederacy, ultimately losing his life in battle. Sallie subsequently married wealthy merchant Vene Armstrong and, following his passing, George F. Downs, spending her later years in Louisville.
Alice Barber Stephens was the winner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Mary Smith Prize in 1890 and London's gold medal in 1902.
Explore related art collections: Military/Soldiers / Magazine Stories / Animals / Horses / Women as Subjects / Men / Black & White / Newly Researched / 1900s / $20,000 - $50,000 / Women Artists
See all original artwork by Alice Barber Stephens
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sincerity and good taste, as well as technical excellence, make the illustrations of Alice Barber Stephens a pleasure to look at. The early discipline of her work as a wood engraver for Scribner's was in some measure responsible for her fine draftsmanship. She was most successful in quiet settings, with humble subjects. Among her best is a series of pictures of old men and women, inmates of the Philadelphia almshouse.
She was trained at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins, and at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, where she later taught portrait and life classes.
Among her many awards were the Mary Smith Prize, from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in 1890; Bronze Metal, Atlanta Exposition, in 1895; and a Gold Medal in London, 1902.