Sarah Weston Seaton with her Children Augustine and Julia

In this playful group portrait, Sarah Weston Seaton’s son Augustine dangles a bunch of cherries just beyond the reach of his sister, Julia. He holds a book that makes his purpose clear: The Art of Teasing Mad[e] Easy Washing[ton] 18–. After 1810, Sarah Seaton’s husband, William Seaton, and her brother, Joseph Gales Jr., were co-owners of the National Intelligencer. Under their editorship, this important newspaper covered congressional proceedings and was the official printer for Congress until the late 1820s. Sarah Seaton, who was fluent in French and Spanish, occasionally translated documents for the newspaper. The Seatons also played leading roles in the political and cultural affairs of Washington, D.C. Their close connections with legislators and the new capital’s diplomatic corps are recounted in Sarah Seaton’s diary and letters.

This portrait was painted in Washington by one of the Seatons’ neighbors, Charles Bird King, who, like them, lived just a few blocks from this building.