Unidentified Woman
ArtistSilhouette made by
William H. Brown
(American, 1808 - 1883)
PrinterBackground probably printed by
E.B. & E.C. Kellogg
(American, 1840 - 1867)
Date1842-1845
MediumSilhouette; lithography; cut paper and printer's ink on wove paper on cardboard
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 13 1/4 x 10 5/8in. (33.7 x 27cm)
Sheet (height x width): 13 1/4 x 10 5/8in. (33.7 x 27cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineThe Newman S. Hungerford Museum Fund
Object number2008.71.0
DescriptionA woman stands in the interior of a room, facing right. She is wearing a dress and holds a closed fan in her right hand. A side chair is behind her. A patterned carpet is on the floor, and a framed landscape painting is on the wall in the left background. Drapes are pulled back on either side of an open window, through which a Gothic church tower is visible above dense trees.
Label TextWilliam H. Brown, a silhouette artist from South Carolina, used Kellogg lithographs as the background for several of his cut-paper silhouette portraits.
NotesSubject Note: The composition of the lithographic background is nearly identical with that of the W.H. Brown portrait of T.C. Brownell (2003.325.0), but there are small but significant differences between the two, including the style of the chair, the subject of the landscape painting on the wall, and the pattern of the carpet. The size of the two printed backgrounds also varies slightly. Most significantly, the silhouette of the woman is cut paper and the Brownell portrait, though based on a cut-paper silhouette, is part of the printed lithograph. This indicates that multiple copies of the portrait of T.C. Brownell were produced. The portrait of the unidentified woman is likely unique. (Finlay 2/2/2009)Status
Not on view
Object/Object