Portrait of a Child

c. 1850

Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes

Associated Names
Albert Sands Southworth

Artist, American, 1811 - 1894

Josiah Johnson Hawes

Artist, American, 1808 - 1901

The image shows an upper-body view of a young child who is seated and positioned slightly to the side with their head turned towards the left. The child's facial expression is neutral, and they have light-colored hair that is neatly combed and parted to the side. They are wearing a plaid dress with short sleeves and a square neckline with a white lace trim. One arm is across their chest, resting on the fabric of the dress. There is a delicate pearl earring visible in one ear. The background consists of a blurred, dark textured surface, possibly fabric, creating a neutral backdrop. The photograph is encased in a gold-toned frame that has a spattered pattern of darker spots.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    daguerreotype

  • Credit Line

    The Joyce and Robert B. Menschel Fund

  • Dimensions

    image (visible): 7.6 × 6.5 cm (3 × 2 9/16 in.)
    mat: 9.8 × 8.6 cm (3 7/8 × 3 3/8 in.)
    framed: 25.4 × 24.2 cm (10 × 9 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2002.85.1


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Private collection); (Lee Gallery, Winchester, MA), by 2001; NGA purchase, 2002.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2017

  • Posing for the Camera: Gifts from Robert B. Menschel, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2017 - 2018, unnumbered catalogue.

Wikidata ID

Q64032497

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