Liberty

American 19th Century

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a woman standing upright, holding a cup with a bald eagle drinking from it. She has fair skin, rosy cheeks, red lips, long curly brown hair, and is wearing a classical style gown. The gown has a blue bodice that cuts diagonally across her torso, under which is a flowing white skirt gathered at the side to reveal her leg and the lace-up sandals she wears. She holds a thin pole with an American flag hanging from it. In her other hand, she holds a white cup or bowl. A large bald eagle flies over her and dips its head down to drink from the cup. The background is brown, and it is lighter at the top of the image and darker at the bottom.