Mary Lightfoot
John Wollaston Charles City County, Virginia 1757–1758 Oil on canvas 4725 Gift of Mr. Herbert Lee Pratt
Depictions of girls and young women in the 18th century often focused on childbearing and the prospect of motherhood. Here, Mary Lightfoot no longer wears the clothing of a child, and the doll she holds and faces her is dressed in a fashionable gown. The gown on this particular doll bears a striking resemblance to the gown worn by her mother. That Mary faces a doll that represents her mother suggests that Mary was growing to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a matron of a great house.