Mary Eliza Washington, facing right in white dress with short brown hair, pink cloud and blue sky landscape background; the reverse with pencil on paper inscription, Painted by John W. Dodge (after death) Nashville Ten. april 25th 1842. Likeness of daughter of Thos. Washington Esqr. all enclosed in a silver gilt frame

The iconography of this portrait miniature of Mary Eliza Washington, a daughter of Thomas Washington of Nashville, Tennessee and descendant of the Washingtons of Virginia, suggests it was painted after the girl's death. Her obituary appeared in the Nashville Whig on 27 January 1842 as follows, Mary Eliza, daughter of Thomas Washington, Esq. Died on Monday 24th inst. Aged 7 years. Mary Eliza's father was a lawyer in Nashville, and his correspondence are presently preserved in the Tennessee Historical Society and the Tennessee State Archives; Thomas Washington was a founding member of the Tennessee Historical Society.

This lot and the following five lots all descended in the Woods Family, originally of Nashville, Tennessee.

For information on the artist, see note to lot 199.