Girl in Green Dress

Date1820-1825 (probably)

Attributed to Rufus Porter (1792-1884)

MediumWatercolor, ink, and Gouache on laminated laid papers

DimensionsPrimary Support: 4 3/16 x 2 15/16in. (10.6 x 7.5cm) and Framed: 6 1/2 x 4 1/2in.

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1963.300.1

DescriptionA three-quarter-length profile portrait of a girl facing right. She wears a yellowish-green dress with long sleeves and a low, square neckline. Her visible hand is painted white. Her long brown hair is pulled back in a knot on top of her head. Her visible eye is blue with a large pupil and very long eyelashes. The background is unpainted.
Probably original 3/4-inch mahogany-veneered lap-joined frame, pegged at the joints, with a reproduction brass hanging ring at the center top.Label TextThis unpretentious portrait includes the rendering of eye and ear characteristic of Rufus Porter's work. Also typical is the loosely painted, monochromatic modeling apparent on the shoulder of the dress. Chronologically, the likeness is the earliest of three recorded portraits of children by Porter, and it is the only portrait attributed to him in which the artist has attempted to depict hands. Porter rarely deviated from half-length poses, perhaps in an attempt to avoid the very problems encountered here. The hand is painted in white gouache, which gives the impression that the girl is wearing a glove.ProvenanceMary Allis, Fairfield, Conn.