The Baptism of Pocahontas was painted by John G. Chapman. Matoaka, signifying a streamlet between two hills, or the "Snow Feather," as her Indian friends delighted to call her, was christened Rebecca. "Chapman," says Watterston, "has-given what may be considered as a true representation of Nantaquaas, the brother of Pocahontas, whom Captain Smith seems to have regarded as the very beau ideal of manly beauty. The sister of Pocahontas is seated on the floor, with her child clinging to her, while Opechankanough, also seated in the Indian fashion, scowls at the ceremony with deep malignity and ferocity. Rolfe, the husband of Pocahontas, stands behind her. Sir Thomas Dale, in the martial costume of the age, stands on the right of the officiating clergyman, Whitaker, and his standard bearer and page near him".

Though the light-effect on the two principal figures pleasingly catches the passing eye, and though the picture is most sympathetic to popular fancy, the whole as a work of art is unworthy of serious criticism. The subject, too, is not sufficiently important to warrant the conspicuous hanging. The scene is laid in Virginia just prior to the marriage of this daughter of Powhatan in April, 1613. During the absence of John Smith, Captain Argall had bribed Japazaws to betray Pocahontas into his hands. While on shipboard, she had fallen in love with an Englishman, John Rolfe, in whose country she died four years later. Their union brought about a peace of many years with the Indians around Jamestown.