The Cakemaker’s Portrait

October, 2011 - April, 2012 | Rice Gallery

This late 1830s portrait of Hepsibeth Hemenway has been part of Worcester Historical Museum’s collection since 1895. While we know a good deal about the sitter, what can we uncover about the circumstances of the portrait? How did a woman of little means and mixed-race background in early America get a portrait commissioned? Explore the Rice Gallery and learn about the artist community that developed in Worcester in the early 1800s and its relationship to the portrait of the celebrated cakemaker, Hepsibeth Hemenway.