The sister of Oliver Wolcott, Jr., who served as secretary of the treasury under George Washington and later as governor of Connecticut, Laura Moseley commissioned this portrait of herself and her son Charles from Ralph Earl in Litchfield, Connecticut. While sitting for the painting, Laura wrote to her brother, apologizing for not writing sooner. She humorously noted, "You ought to consider that my attention has been engrossed by Mr. Earl, and that I have had enough to do, to acquire the grace of patience; I have nearly attained it, and probably in the course of two or three months shall arrive at a state of perfection in this virtue." Earl skillfully renders Mrs. Moseley as fashionable and elegant, while also capturing the youthful energy of Charles, who playfully pulls on his mother’s arm.