Portrait of a Child

Folk art portrait of a child / watercolor / c. 1830s

Antique original folk art watercolor of a child — presumably a boy, given the period dress — Newburyport, Massachusetts, c. 1830s. The portrait is a curious contrast between painstakingly painterly realism — the child’s face — and embellished if not imagined details — the hands holding idealized flowers; the obsessive perfection of tiny feet raised on a cushion seemingly from another dimension. Painted for an oval frame, the edges of the portrait’s background remain unfinished, further heightening the surreal quality of the image. I acquired it without a frame and had it professionally mounted in a period antique silver gilt molding. A note on the reverse indicates the portrait came from the Russell family estate on Water Street in Newburyport, MA.

Condition

Excellent antique condition.

Measurements

15 inches wide
18 inches tall

Shipping

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