Portrait of a Man and Girl with Horse and Dog

c. 1845

American 19th Century

Associated Names
The image shows a man and a child, both visible from the waist up. The man is seated on a chair, facing forward with his left arm resting on the armrest and a dog lying across his lap. He has a stern expression, with short hair and he is wearing a cap. His attire consists of a dark vest over a light shirt, and there appears to be a necktie or bow tie around his collar. Beside him stands a young girl, who has her hair neatly parted in the middle and pulled back. She is dressed in a checkered dress, and holds a small object in her hands. In the background, a large horse stands behind them, with its head turned to the side. The setting seems to be indoors, with a plain backdrop placed behind the subjects. The image is housed in a decorative gilded frame that encompasses the entire photograph.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    daguerreotype with applied color

  • Credit Line

    Robert B. Menschel and the Vital Projects Fund

  • Dimensions

    image (visible): 9 × 12 cm (3 9/16 × 4 3/4 in.)
    mat: 10.1 × 13.2 cm (4 × 5 3/16 in.)
    case (closed): 15.2 × 12.1 × 2.1 cm (6 × 4 3/4 × 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.40.2


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Medhurst and Company, Olathe, KS); (Charles Schwartz, Ltd., New York), January 2012; NGA purchase, 2012.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2015

  • In Light of the Past: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Collecting Photographs at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, May 3 – July 26, 2015

2017

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

Wikidata ID

Q64144670

You may be interested in

Loading Results