Portrait of an Unknown Southern Lady and Her Dog, (painting).

Portrait of an Unknown Southern Lady and Her Dog, (painting).

Unknown, painter.

Marschall, Nicola, 1829-1917, painter. (possibly by)

Frye, William, 1819-1872, painter. (possibly by)

Portrait of an Unknown Southern Lady and Her Dog, (painting).

Digital Reference:

16 x 16 in.; Framed: 23 3/4 x 23 3/4 in.

Portrait of an unknown Southern woman and her dog by an as yet identified artist working in the American South during the mid-nineteenth century. The artist’s painting style appears to have been influenced by the popularity of the daguerreotype, a photographic process that was first introduced to America in 1839, as this particular portrait is much more photographic than painterly. The artist has provided clues about the sitter’s hobbies and interests, such as needlework and reading, and has depicted the woman as a genteel lady of means. The inclusion of the dog, which is depicted as gazing adoringly at its mistress, can also be interpreted as a symbol of the sitter’s loyalty and fidelity.

Portrait female -- Unidentified -- Waist length

Occupation -- Domestic -- Sewing

Object -- Flower

Object -- Written Matter -- Book

Anonymous Collection.

Acquired from Anonymous Collection, Birmingham, Alabama

Nelson, David, until 2012.

This painting was purchased from a Mountain Brook, Birmingham, Ala. estate in the twenty-first century, where it had a long-standing family history of having been painted in the South. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the identity of the sitter/subject wasn't recorded by the family descendant. Two potential attributions are Nicola Marschall and William Frye, both artists who painted in Kentucky and Alabama, during this period.

Nelson, David, 2010, 2012.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Control Number:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

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