Anonymous Woman
c. 1830
Medium
oil on wood
Dimensions
overall: 46.8 x 36.1 cm (18 7/16 x 14 3/16 in.) framed: 59 x 48.4 x 3 cm (23 1/4 x 19 1/16 x 1 3/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Accession Number
1953.5.85
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This captivating portrait, titled *Anonymous Woman*, was created around 1830 by an unknown American artist working in the early nineteenth century. Painted in oil on a wooden panel, the work measures just under 19 by 15 inches, a modest size that suggests it may have been intended for personal or domestic display rather than a grand public setting. The choice of wood as a support was practical for the period, offering a sturdy yet portable surface for itinerant painters who traveled between towns offering their services. In the decades before photography became widely available, such painted ...
About the Artist
American 19th Century
The artist cataloged as "American, 19th Century" represents a collective of unidentified painters active in the United States during the nineteenth century, with 380 known artworks preserved in this virtual museum's collection. These works span a diverse array of genres typical of the era, including portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, reflecting the burgeoning artistic output of ...