Existing comment:
Thomas Buchanan Read
Portrait of Mrs. Jessie Benton Frémont, Wife of Gen. John Frémont
1856
oil on canvas
Jessie Benton Frémont was the daughter of powerful Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton. Bright, witty, and ambitious, she orchestrated her husband's political career and wrote most of his exploration narratives. In 1856 she was, in effect, her husband's campaign manager when he ran for president. Her work behind the scenes in California and New York was a significant factor in her husband's successes.
Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Gift of Elizabeth Benton Frémont, 81.G.2 |