Antique Oil Painting of Van Rensselaer Sisters playing with Family Dog 18th century French School painting is framed within a 20th century 4-inch wood molding with a cast and gold finish It is under glass Artwork is 20" high by 17" wide (stretcher) Frame is 28 1/2" high by 25 1/4" wide One young woman is holding a bird-her head is turned toward her sister playing with a jumping white dog They are in a garden landscape beneath a wall with a large sphinx on top The Van Rensselaers were a very prominent American family Van Rensselaer was co-founder of the Dutch West India Company and presided over Rensselaerswyck, a swath of roughly 1,200 square miles of present day upper state New York The accomplishments of his descendants-count one general in the Revolutionary War, numerous congressmen, a couple of lieutenant governors- assured the Van Rensselaer name longevity Edith Wharton, who was a cousin, portrays them in her novel "The Age of Innocence" as the Van der Luydens Rensselaer carried letters from Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams on April 15, 1795 while John Quincy Adams was at The Hague Abigail Adams was a great granddaughter of John Quincy Adams There were several Abigail Adams in this family We have a family tree and a Boston Globe article if the buyer is interested The Adams family and Van Rensselaer families had a political association Painting was purchased in 1979 in Brewster, MA from an antiques dealer Dealer had an appraisal stating painting was purchased January 14, 1914 from the estate of Abigail Adams, 452 Beacon Street, Boston, MA We have a detailed extensive history of 452 Beacon Street if buyer is interested