19th-Century American Folk Art

Portrait Of A Lady Holding A Posy

19th-Century American Folk Art

Portrait Of A Lady Holding A Posy

This mid-19th-century American folk art painting depicts a young lady wearing a black dress with gold earrings and purple necktie. She’s holding a posy.

During the 1850s, fashion tended to portray women as demure and doll-like with a bell-shaped silhouette. Dresses became voluminous and flesh tended to be covered. With regards to hair, centre partings remained popular with some opting for a low bun and/or puffing out the hair over the ears.

Here, the lady carries a rather pious appearance yet has embellished her outfit with large gold earrings and a fancy clasp on her necktie.

Held in a later frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 30½” x 35½” / 77cm x 90cm
Year of creation: c. 1850
Provenance: Private collection, England.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Fine craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

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