Elizabeth Willing Powel (Mrs. Samuel Powel)

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Status

On view

Datec. 1793

Possible artist Joseph Wright (American, 1756 - 1793)

Geography Painted - United States

Medium/TechniqueOil on canvas

DimensionsOverall: 36 1/8 in. × 31 1/4 in. × 2 1/2 in. (91.76 cm × 79.38 cm × 6.35 cm)

Credit LineAcquired through the generosity of an anonymous donor, 2020

Object numberH-5823

DescriptionAn unfinished kit-cat portrait of a woman, Elizabeth Willing Powel, facing the viewer with head turned slightly to the proper right and gazing at the viewer. She wears a white gown with a low neckline, with the top of the full skirt visible. She holds her right hand clinched to her chest, likely to hold a portrait miniature, while her left arm remains extended largely out of view. Her gray hair is arranged in a style known as the hedgehog with a white ribbon tying the hair off atop her head. The most finished element of the portrait is the sitter's face and the area of background around her head. The body, dress, arms, and background are loosely sketched onto the canvas in broad backstrokes. The background is dark in tones of black, brown, and red, and the proper right background is left blank with the exception of a few errant brushstrokes, likely the result of the artist wiping off his paint brush.

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