Mother and Child in White

American 18th Century

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a portrait of a woman seated with a young child on her lap. The woman is holding the child securely with one arm wrapped around the child and the other holding a small flower. The woman has a fair complexion, an oval face, straight dark eyebrows, light-colored eyes, and is wearing a bonnet with lace and a large blue ribbon. She is dressed in a light-colored gown with a high neckline, a black choker, and a wide black belt. The child, also fair-complexioned, is wearing a dress with a blue sash and a lacy bonnet. They sit against a dark background.