A Country Home

Frank Henry Shapleigh (1842–1906)
Arlington, Massachusetts, 1866
Oil on canvas
27 9/16 x 39 ½ in.
Bequest of Amelia Peabody
1985.662

Soon after cofounding the banking firm Kidder, Peabody, & Co. in 1865, Francis Peabody moved from Boston with his family, including daughters Fannie and Lillian, seen in the foreground, to this tranquil location in Arlington, Massachusetts. The cottage at the end of the drive, built in 1843, is a distinguished example of the Gothic Revival style widely promoted in Andrew Jackson Downing’s influential book, Cottage Residences (1842). This painting was made early in Frank Shapleigh’s career, not long after his discharge from the Union Army. Later he traveled to Europe to hone his skills.