Sweet Springs

DateSeptember 29, 1843

Possibly by Eliza Howard Simms Burd 1793 - 1860

MediumWatercolor and ink on wove paper.

DimensionsFramed 8 5/16" X 13 1/4" Unframed: 5 7/16" x 10 15/16" (13.8 cm x 27.8 cm.) primary support. Secondary support plus added side margins: 7" x 11 13/16" (17.8 cm x 30.0 cm.)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1961.302.1

DescriptionFrom an elevated perspective, viewer looks out over rolling green hillside dotted with trees and two haystacks; tree-covered mountside beyond. Dirt road runs from front to back through the picture; frame cottage faces road about center in picture; beyond road splits and goes further back to right; to left leads to large red brick barn with attached shed. Gray frame structure beyond it. At lower left in picture is a two-story white frame building. Split rail fences sub-divide fields in rest. White stile surrounds split rail fence in left third. Logs appear on ground to left of lower center.Label TextFor centuries people have believed that drinking or bathing in natural occurrences of mineral waters or warm waters was conducive to good health, and by mid nineteenth century, resort hotels or spas had grown up around many American springs of this type. Accompanied by retinues of servants, wealthy families made annual pilgrimages to these resorts "to take the waters" and, increasingly, to meet friends in a fashionable setting. A variety of recreational activities, such as carriage and horseback rides, promenades, balls, and games, all catered to this clientele, making social life an important function of the springs, one that outweighed the salubrious aspects of the visits for many.

Sweet Springs is located in Monroe County, once part of Virginia when depicted in these watercolors, but now lies in West Virginia and is maintained as a home for the aged. Ten other watercolors of popular area springs are known to have been created by the same artist, possibly Mrs. Edward Shippen Burd (Eliza Howard) of Philadelphia. The artist probably sketched the group as a recreational pastime and kept them as souvenirs of her visits to the respective resorts. The thirteen renderings descended as a group in Mrs. Burd's family until they were dispersed by sale in 1947.
Mark(s)In ink in script in the lower right corner of the secondary support is "Sweet Springs - September 29th 1843." In the upper right corner on the reverse of the primary support is marking in inked script that appears to read the same as the preceding and may be in the same hand (two supports were not separated so cannot read well.)ProvenanceMay B. Foell (?); Old Print shop, New York, NY.