Hugh Douglas Hamilton - attributed
Girl Reading, Irish c. 1780
oil on canvas
20 x 20 inches
30 x 30 inches
30 x 30 inches
Provenance
Ex. Coll: Private Collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The artist captures the similarities of the sitters in these portraits. The siblings are an attractive pair; both have fair complexions, dark brown hair and blue eyes. Their fingers are long and refined and their clothing is understated and elegant.
The educated girl is caught in a contemplative moment after finishing her book. One sees her as quiet, kind and thoughtful. The furniture, rug and flowers shown in the room are signifiers of the family's upper class status.
*This painting is one of a pair. Both paintings retain their original frames and the pair is $25,000.