Elvira Sturtevant Thompson, Daughter of the Artist (Elvira Thompson with a Book)

Artist
Credit Line
Cephas Thompson (American 1775–1856)
Date1820
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions48 x 31 1/2 in. (121.9 x 80 cm)
DescriptionOne of Thompson’s finest works, this remarkably sophisticated portrait of his second daughter Elvira (1804–1855) is redolent of the neo-classical taste that pervaded even provincial America in the early nineteenth century. The Klismos chair, Elvira’s dress, the sparely decorated interior, and the orderly outdoor scene all combine to make the viewer momentarily forget that this is Middleboro in rural Massachusetts. In this fashionable setting, Elvira is beaming with health and youthful anticipation.
Bequest of P. Compton Miller, Jr., 1993
Object NumberUR255