History:This portrait is of an unsmiling woman sitting on a dark red chair, wearing a light blue off-the-shoulder dress with a white flower at the center. She has brown hair parted in the middle and pulled back. The frame is very ornate gild molded plaster over wood. The portrait is believed to be in its original frame. There is no major crackling of the paint, but several areas of pink have been repainted.
Notes:Mary Childress Avent was the daughter of Major John W. Childress (1807-1884) and Sarah Williams. Major Childress was the brother of Sarah Childress Polk, wife of President James K. Polk. Mary married Col. James M. Avent February 24, 1857.
