An oil-on-canvas by Philadelphia artist Bass Otis (1784-1861), Portrait of Miss Adle Sigoigne (1815), which has been on view at Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum (Andalusia) in Bensalem, Pa., since 2014 as a long-term loan from the Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia, now joins its permanent collection in an act of collegial partnership. Adle Sigoigne was a good friend of Jane Craig Biddle (1793-1856), who lived at Andalusia with her husband, Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844). The ISM has deaccessioned the painting and transferred its ownership to Andalusia. We are overjoyed to have Adles portrait now part of our permanent collection, said Andalusias Executive Director John Vick. Every piece of art in the historic house has a unique story to tell about the property and the people who lived here or visited. Adle was practically family to the Biddles, making this a fitting home for her portrait. We are grateful to our partners at Independence Seaport Museum for recognizing what the painting means to Andalusia and for making this momentous transfer possible. Our staff and board were unanimous in wanting to transfer this painting permanently to Andalusia, said Peter S. Seibert, ISMs president and chief executive officer. Its history and associations with the Biddle family are significant, and thus the painting is imminently relevant to their mission. For us, the transfer is a visible reminder of how two museums can come together to ensure that the history and heritage of our community is preserved in public trust for future generations. Although it is unclear how or when Jane and Adle met, their lasting friendship is certain. Close in age and of similar social standing, the two women came from very different backgrounds, however. Jane was a Philadelphian by birth, the only daughter of John and Margaret Craig, the couple who first established Andalusia as a country estate in 1795. Adle, by contrast, was French-born and had lived in Haiti. After the Haitian Revolution began in 1791, she moved to Philadelphia with her mother, Aime Sigoigne, who started a school for young women at 128 Pine Street. Adle was one of a few guests who attended Janes wedding to Nicholas Biddle, held at Andalusia in 1811. The Biddles three daughters would later attend Madame Sigoignes school, including Adle, who was named for her mothers dear friend. (The name Adle remained popular for several generations of Biddle descendants.) Although the portrait is unsigned, its attribution is firm; it is nearly certain that the Biddles commissioned Bass Otis to paint Adles portrait as he also painted Janes portrait around 1815. (This painting is in the collection of the Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery in Philadelphia.) Both women are shown in fashionable, Empire-style dresses with luxurious fabrics draped over their shoulders; Janes is white and sheer while Adles is a vibrant red. Their hair is also similarly styled in an updo with ringlets framing their faces. Nicholas Biddle conveyed his appreciation of Adles portrait to Otis in a letter, which remains with and will be transferred with the painting from ISM. Since Portrait of Miss Adle Sigoigne has been on loan at Andalusia, it has been on view in the historic houses library, which was part of the 1830s addition designed by architect Thomas Walter. Now in Andalusias permanent collection, it will be moved to what is known as the Painted Floor Bedroom. This room is part of the original 1797 construction and could have been where Adle stayed when she visited Jane around the time that the portrait was made. The Biddles patronage of Bass Otis continued for many years. In 1827, Nicholas Biddle commissioned the artist to paint a copy of Jacques-Louis Davids famous scene Napolean Crossing the Alps (1801). The oil-on-canvas copy, which is also on view at Andalusia, was owned by Napoleons brother Joseph Bonaparte, who knew the Biddles, lived near them in Philadelphia and owned a country estate (Point Breeze) near Andalusia. By the 1820s, however, the Biddles began to favor another Philadelphia artist, Thomas Sully, who painted the couples portraits in 1826, both of which are on view at Andalusia. In 1829, the Biddles commissioned him to paint another portrait of Adle Sigoigne, which is in the collection of The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif. Visitors to Andalusia can see these paintings on a tour of the Historic House. Guided tours are available Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, as well as during select Saturdays from April to November. Tours are $30 per person (free for members and children 12 and under), which includes access to Andalusias gardens and arboretum, and can be reserved at www.andalusiapa.org.