Paulina Lee Eldridge
PainterPainted by
Charles William Eldridge
(1811 - 1883)
SubjectPortrait of
Paulina Lee
(1787 - 1840)
Dateprobably 1830s
MediumMiniature; watercolor on ivory on paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 2 11/16 x 2 3/8in. (6.8 x 6cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift in memory of Annie Frances Eldridge Murray
Object number1997.54.126
DescriptionBust-length portrait of a woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a sheer white cap that ties at her neck with a black ribbon on the top. She is also wearing a sheer fichu and a black dress.
Label TextAn inscription on the back of this miniature identifies the woman as Paulina Lee Eldridge, the stepmother of the miniature painter Charles William Eldridge. Charles barely knew his own mother who died when he was five years old. Charles’s father William Eldridge married Paulina in 1817. She was from was from Farmington, Connecticut; the couple lived in Tolland, Connecticut, later moving to Illinois.
NotesDate Note: The subject's clothing and apparent age in her portrait suggest that this was probably done in the 1830s when she was in her late forties or early fifties. (Ozzone 3/29/2013)Costume Note: The subject appears to be wearing a fichu around her shoulders. A fichu is a triangular piece of light fabric worn by women, covering the neck, throat, and shoulders. (Ozzone 4/25/2013)
Status
Not on view
