Portrait of Mrs. Francis Scott Key, Miner Kilbourne Kellogg

Exhibition Label:
"This Land," Mar-2014, Kate Meyer
Mary Tayloe Key (1784-1859), better known as Polly, raised 11 children with Francis Scott Key. Her portrait indicates ties to her Tayloe heritage, particularly through the embroidered initials “MTK” on her handkerchief. The presence of the American flag is an acknowledgment of her husband, who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner. Key penned the lyrics after observing the American defense of Fort McHenry from bombardment by the British during the War of 1812. The United States officially adopted the song as its anthem in 1931.

Archive Label 2003:
This portrait has been recently re-attributed to the artist Miner Kilbourne Kellogg. Well known for his realistic portraits, Miner Kellogg was one of the finest portraitists in Cincinnati in the 1830s. He studied there with the German immigrant Frederick Eckstein and became most famous for his Portrait of Andrew Jackson of 1840. He also traveled extensively in Italy and the middle East.

Miner Kellogg was known to have painted a portrait of Mrs. Key’s brother-in-law. In 1848, when this portrait was painted, the artist was living in the same area as Mrs. Key. Mrs. Key’s maiden name was Mary Tayloe Lloyd, and thus the initials “MTK” that are embroidered on the handkerchief indicate a woman proud of her family name and heritage. The donor of this work, Mrs. Julia Chubb, was the great granddaughter of Mrs. Francis Scott Key.