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Young Woman with Ringlets Wearing a Brown Dress

Offered by: David A. Schorsch - Eileen M. Smiles Fine Americana

Description
Young Woman with Ringlets Wearing a Brown Dress
American, circa 1840
Oil on panel, 26 ¾ x 23 inches, in original painted frame

This captivating folk portrait, rendered in various shades of brown, features the subject in a unique pose that defies traditional conventions. Her posture is distinctive, as she faces the viewer at an angle that is neither profile, frontal, nor fully three-quarter, with her head tilted and her face highly expressive. This piece exemplifies the work of an avant-garde artist who eschewed conventional norms, achieving a conceptual folk portrait characterized by pronounced linear planes in the background contrasting with the curves of the subject’s form and stance. The young girl’s face, ringlets, and the lace of her collar are delicate and meticulously depicted. Furthermore, the window, face, and hand form a triangle of emphasized elements within the predominantly monochromatic palette of brown tones. The sitter dons a fashionable day dress from the 1840s featuring an elongated waist and triangular gathered bodice, reflecting a revival of early eighteenth-century style and an appreciation for Gothic angularity and geometry, inspired by slightly earlier French designs. In 1848, Godey’s stated: “We receive our fashions direct from the publishing house in Paris, in advance of all others, by contract. We take the liberty of Americanizing them and suiting them to the more severe taste of American ladies.” The somber brown hue of the dress was widely popular at the time. In February 1844, the Ladies Companion noted, “those who sigh for … ill-assorted and gaudy colors are not, whatever may be their ostensible position in life, the truly fashionable and genteel.”

Provenance:
Collection of Dr. Melvin D. Wolfe (1932–2024) and Betty Wolfe, Flint, Michigan.

More Information

Period:	19th Century
Creation Date:	1840
Styles / Movements:	Folk Art, Traditional
Incollect Reference #:	814330

Dimensions

W.	23 in;	H.	26.75 in;
W.	58.42 cm;	H.	67.95 cm;

Message from Seller:

David A. Schorsch and Eileen M. Smiles are nationally recognized dealers in American antiques and folk art, specializing in weathervanes, folk paintings, Shaker furniture, and more. With over forty years of experience, they offer expert services in private and corporate collections, authentication, and auction representation—contact them today at 203.263.3131 or via email at contact@schorsch-smiles.com.