Portrait of Sarah Polk in Mourning Attire

  • Creator: George Dury, (1817-1894)
  • Title: Portrait of Sarah Polk in Mourning Attire
  • Date: 1878
  • Description: This oval portrait depicts an elderly woman wearing a stiff white collar, a dark dress with buckle pin and a dark veil of mourning.
  • Historical Note: This portrait of Sarah Childress Polk (1803-1891) shows her in mourning clothing, which she wore from the time of former President James K. Polk's death in 1849 until the end of her life. The white collar and band on her veil and the brown leather of the distinctive buckle brooch she wears at her neck are the only touches of color in her attire. Sarah Polk remained at Polk Place in Nashville after her husband's death. She was in residence during the Civil War and at the time this portrait was painted by artist George Dury.
  • Institution: James K. Polk Ancestral Home
  • Publisher: Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
  • Rights: Images reproduced on this website are intended for individual, educational use only. For research inquiries about specific objects or requests for high resolution images, contact James K. Polk Ancestral Home.
  • URL: http://cdm15838.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/shades
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