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New York. Scott and Fowles. Paintings in the C. P. Taft Collection, November 1909, no. 6.
Ohio. Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts. Sir Joshua Reynolds and His American Contemporaries, January 30–March 2, 1958, no. 19.
Cincinnati, Ohio. Taft Museum of Art. In a New Light: Treasures from the Taft, July 3, 2021–May 1, 2022.

Elizabeth Weyland’s firstborn son, John, extends a playful arm toward the view of the substantial property he will someday inherit. Born Elizabeth Johanna Nourse (died 1822), Mrs. Weyland grew up in a wealthy family in Oxfordshire, northwest of London. She married John Weyland (1744–1825) in 1772, uniting their families’ vast estates. Earlier British portraits depicted unsmiling families in formal poses, but Reynolds presented his subjects in more spontaneous and affectionate moments, introducing familiarity and intimacy into British portraiture.

More to the Story
John Weyland (1774–1854), the chubby, squirming toddler in this painting, grew up to be an attorney and member of Parliament. He wrote several treatises that examined the English Poor Laws, which allowed for local governments to use taxpayer money to assist the poor. Weyland supported the laws, advocating for their improvement and calling for assistance to the working class. At the same time, however, he opposed too much education for the poor, professing that hardship encouraged industry.

Acquired by Captain Mark Ulick Weyland, Windeatin/Wirdealin, Oxfordshire and Windrising, Norfolk, England; (purchased by Lawrie and Co., London, 1903 [1]). (Acquired by Scott and Fowles, New York, NY); purchased by Charles Phelps Taft [1843-1929] and Anna Sinton Taft [1850-1931], Cincinnati, OH, October 22, 1904; donated to the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts, Cincinnati, OH, May 21, 1927 [2]; transferred to the Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH, September 1, 2006 [3].

Notes:

[1]. According to dealer Lawrie and Co., the painting had "never left the house from the time it was painted" until their purchase. See Taft Museum of Art object file. [2]. The Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts (CIFA) was formed by Charles Phelps Taft and Anna Sinton Taft on March 22, 1927 as a non-profit corporation to stimulate the development of art and music in the City of Cincinnati and run the Taft Museum of Art, which opened in 1932. The Tafts offered $1 million for a permanent endowment fund, on the condition that the community raise $2.5 million in matching funds, which was achieved by December 3, 1928. [3]. Until August 31, 2006, the Museum was owned by CIFA, administered by CIFA’s Board of Trustees, and governed by the Taft Museum Board of Overseers. On September 1, 2006, the Museum legally separated from CIFA and began operations as its own incorporated 501(c)(3) entity. This separate incorporation led to the transfer to the separate entity after August 31, 2006 of all tangible assets comprising the Taft collection.

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