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.
Summary:
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.
