Sarah Phifer Morehead

 

Sarah Phifer Morehead was the first wife of John Lindsay. She and her husband had three children before her death in 1867. Though there is little to note in the portrait itself, there is one small detail that makes this very interesting for the collection. It is believed that Browne painted this portrait in August of 1868, one year after Sarah’s death. Most likely Browne painted this from a photograph, which is not uncommon for the time. The simplicity of the portrait is understandable when one considers its purpose as a memorial of Sarah for John Lindsay and his family. One can imagine the widower and his children admiring this portrait, after their loved one passed at the age of thirty-two.