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

One 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.