Lilly Martin Spencer

Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) was the most famous American woman painter of the 19th century. She painted mostly domestic scenes and portraits. Her paintings are notable for the humor that many of them display.

Here is a biographical essay about LMS.

 Clap Hands (1855)

 Domestic Happiness (1849)

 Kiss Me and You’ll Kiss the ‘Lasses (1856)

["the 'lasses" being short for "molasses"]

 Peeling Onions (ca. 1852)

 Reading the Legend (1852)

The Artist and Her Family on a Fourth of July Picnic (ca. 1864)

The Artist and Her Family on a Fourth of July Picnic 

(engraved by Samuel Hollyer and John Rogers)

 The War Spirit at Home: Celebrating the Battle at Vicksburg (1866)

[article about this painting]

 The Young Husband: First Marketing (1854)

[about this painting]

 The Young Wife: First Stew (1854)

We Both Must Fade (Mrs. Fithian) (1869)

[about this painting]

 Height of Fashion (lithograph by Jean-Baptiste Adolphe LaFosse) (1854)

One of Life's Happy Hours (engraved by Alfred Jones)