Brust Family Record

Date1830-1832

Artist Justus Da Lee (1793-1878)

MediumWatercolor and ink on printed wove paper

DimensionsPrimary Support: 13 1/2 x 11 5/8in. (34.3 x 29.5cm) and Framed: 16 3/4 x 14 15/16in. (42.5 x 37.9cm)

Credit LineGift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

Object number1939.305.2

DescriptionA family register that was partially press-printed and partially executed freehand. To either side is a black column with a doric capital and yellow fluting and with a green garland interspersed with roses wound around it. Each column stands on a brown plinth. The top of the left column displays an image of a red cradle, that on the right a black coffin. The columns support a decorative arch of red, yellow, and black stripes and a row of scallops. At the base of the arch to the left, a man stands wearing a black tailcoat with brown trousers; an anchor leans against him. At the base of the right arch, a woman in a black dress stands under a stylized willow tree. A wedge breaks the arch, or pediment, at the center, and it encloses leafy plants, two twined hearts, and a pair of blue doves. Lettering appears above and below the arch, with more lettering in the open rectangular space between the columns.

The 1 3/16-inch flat, beaded, black-painted frame is believed to be original; decorative (tinplate?) rings formerly applied to the upper corners are now missing.

Label TextJustus Da Lee is better known for his miniature profile likenesses than for his family records, although more than a dozen of the latter survive. The basic designs of Da Lee's records were press-printed, presumably according to his specifications. He then added coloring and other freehand embellishments and began the personalization process by adding names and data provided by his clients. The expectation was that one or more family members would add future marriage and death dates in their own hands, thus keeping the register current.

On December 17, 1837, Da Lee wrote to his brother from Troy, New York, stating: "[I] have on hand a constant supply of family records (I now have 200 unpainted)." Like most such records, Da Lee's employ traditional symbolic motifs for decoration and for illustration of the rites of passage documented. The Brust Record incorporates entwined hearts (love and marriage), an anchor (hope), a cradle (birth), a willow tree (mourning), and a coffin (death).

An 1832-1834 execution is surmised partly based on a change of handwriting among the dates cited.
InscribedSee "Marks," where both press-printed and freehand inscriptions have been given together for clarity of reading.
MarkingsThe masthead is press-printed with added freehand embellishment; it reads: "IN GOD WE HOPE". Press-printed in ink below the arch is: "Honour thy Father and thy Mother." Press-printed with freehand embellishment within the arch is: "FAMILY RECORD". Press-printed words atop four vertical columns read: "Parents", "Born", "Married", and "Died". The single word "Children" appears after the first two names. [Was this freehand?] The freehand ink and/or watercolor inscriptions within the register are block-style names and script dates; the inscriptions read, line by line: "George Brust May 18. 1764 October 27.1841"; "Christianna File July 17. 1775 April 9=1857". [In the "Married" column, spanning the preceding two entries, is: "October 11.1789."] Continuing under the press-printed word "Children" is: "Catharine Brust August 15. 1790"; "Elizabeth Brust December 6, 1792. July 1810."; "Christianna Brust July 24. 1795."; "Rebecca Brust November 26. 1797. March 31.1822."; "Isaac Brust February 15. 1800."; "Anna Brust October 15. 1802."; "Eve Brust February 6. 1805."; "Mary Brust September 9. 1809. February=18 1832"; "George Brust Jr. March 20. 1812. April 21. 1832". At lower right in dark brown ink in block-style lettering is: "J. Dalee W. Troy."

No watermark has been found.
ProvenanceFound in New York state; Edith Gregor Halpert, Downtown Gallery, New York, NY; purchased from Halpert by Mrs. J. D. Rockefeller, Jr., by whom given to Colonial Williamsburg.