Rival Charms.

PrinterPrinted by E.B. & E.C. Kellogg American, 1840 - 1867

PublisherPublished by E.B. & E.C. Kellogg American, 1840 - 1867

Date1857-1867

MediumLithography; printer's ink and watercolor on wove paper

DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 11 7/8 x 8 5/8in. (30.2 x 21.9cm)
Sheet (height x width): 14 x 11 1/16in. (35.6 x 28.1cm)

ClassificationsGraphics

Credit LineMuseum purchase

DescriptionHalf-length portrait of two young women standing or sitting side by side. The dark-haired woman on the left wears a dress with a scalloped collar and a small brooch. Two roses are in her hair. She has a shawl over her shoulders and a ring on her right hand. The fair-haired girl on the right wears a shawl that completely hides her dress, except for its collar. She wears a ring on her left hand in which she holds a small bouquet of flowers, including a rose, a tulip, and what appear to be johnny-jump-ups or heartsease. Her chin leans on the other woman's shoulder.

Object number1990.125.4

InscribedOn recto, lithographed title and poem beneath image, "RIVAL CHARMS. / The bright black eye, the melting blue / I cannot choose between the two / And both when balanced hardly seem / To stir the scales or rock the beam, / But that is dearest all the while, / Which wears for us the sweetest smile. / 244."

On verso, upper left, in pencil, accession number.NotesSubject Note: The lines of poetry beneath the image are from "The Dilemma," by Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894). However, the title "Rival Charms" does not appear in that work. (Finlay 11/17/2003)

Subject Terms