Family Group 1840
This portrait of an unidentified family is shown in full face in contrast to the profile likenesses of other subjects in this selection of watercolors. The appearance and personalities of individual members are emphasized in the careworn appearance of the mother, the intent gaze of the father, and the beauty of the eldest daughter. The parents' chairs and the patterned carpet bracket and underscore the figures set in space, and the children are placed in a composition cleverly arranged to avoid a line-up of faces on one level. The large number of full-length portraits in a single small painting is an extraordinary exercise in the watercolor medium.
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