Figure 1.--A reader sent us the scan of this unidentified portrait. She is unsure about the origin or the date. The unidentified child we think because of the buggle is a boy. We suspect either American or English and we would date it to the early- to mid-19th century, because of both the hair style and the dress style (low neckline and skirt cut). Here we welcome reader insights.

A reader sent us the scan of this unidentified portrait. She is unsure about the origin or the date. The unidentified child we think because of the buggle is a boy. We suspect either American or English and we would date it to the early- to mid-19th century, because of both the hair style and the dress style (low neckline and skirt cut). Here we welcome reader insights.

The Boy

The boy is unidentified. He looks to us to be about 1-2 years old. I think the toy buggle tells us he is a boy. The fact that a fairly high quality portatit was painted suggests to us that he came from a wealthy family.

Country

We believe that the painting is either American or British. The current location in America and the ringlet curls are both factors here. If I was to guess I would say this is English. The reason being is that the quality of the painting is a step above 19th century American naive art and a painter of this quality would be well known in America.

Background

Unfortunately there are few clues in the back ground. The evocative background is not very helpful. The only we can can get out of the background is water (perhaps a river, Thames?) and the pink rhododendrons which do grow along the Thames in June) but this is all speculation.

Artist

Unfortunately the painting is not signed.

Dress Chronology

As to the century. I would lean toward the early-mid 19th century. The dress is fairly simple. If there had been an adult in the portrait I think we could hsave dated it with more asccuracy. I think we can rule out the late-19th century because of the low neckline. Parents became more prudish after mid-century. Of course this child is very young which sometimes allows such fashions, but I think it argues more for the early-mid-19th century. We see the open necked dresses in early 19th century naive art and in Daguerreotypes, leading me to guess the 1830s-50s, in part because the hair style I think is more mid-19th century. Note the leading stings, they seem rather prominent and symbolic rather than functional. I think in the 18th century they would have been more ribbon like. Such prominent leading strings would be unusual for the late-19th century. Also notice the way the skirt blouses out below the waistline. I think this rules out the early-19th century when Empire-style sressces dropped straight down.

Hair Style Chronology

The painting could come from the 18th century, but I think the hair style is more mid-19th century. (I am not positive when this hair style began, but I see it in Dags, CDVs and cabinet card through the 70s. At least I see that hair do in the mid-19th century into the 1870s in America. We are speaking here not only about the ringlets, but the prominant top curl. Our British archive on hsair styles is more limited and I am less sure about England.

HBC Archive

HBC has sections on both American and English dresses. Readers interested in this portrait msay want to lok into these sections.

Created: 6:37 PM 2/1/2010
Last updated: 6:37 PM 2/1/2010