Primary sourcePainting1813

Portrait of Rachel Walker Revere

Gilbert Stuart · 1813

A 1813 portrait of Rachel Walker Revere, Paul Revere's second wife, painted shortly before her death.

This is a portrait of Paul Revere's second wife, Rachel, who ran their household during his wartime absences.

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Oil painting of an older woman in a white lace bonnet with a bow, a white lace collar, and a light gray-blue dress, seated with her hands folded in front of a dark background with a red chair edge. — Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of Rachel Walker Revere, 1813. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

About this source

What it is

This oil portrait of Rachel Walker Revere was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1813, just weeks before her death. It is held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Why it matters

Rachel Revere managed the household during Paul Revere's wartime absences and has been described by historians as having strong sympathy for the Whig cause. Historians use the rich surviving sources about her life to understand women's experiences during the American Revolution, seeing her as more than just the wife of a famous man.

Look closer

What does her clothing and pose suggest about her status late in life?
Why might historians value a portrait of a Patriot's wife as much as one of the Patriot himself?
What is missing from a painted portrait that a letter or diary might tell us about her life?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Paul Revere on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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