To the Memory of Reverend William Wilcox

Mourning imagery was popular in 19th-century American visual culture. The iconography of such pictures was rooted in classical, Arcadian influences drawn from a variety of sources, combining European literature, philosophy, and the fine arts with American cultural ideals. Often featuring a grieving female figure within an idealized landscape, the traditional mourning picture format is believed to have been popularized after the death of George Washington, America’s first national hero.