Lambs, Nantucket

Eastman Johnson

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a woman standing outdoors, facing the left. She has pale skin, and her face is in shadow, obscured by a wide-brimmed flat white hat with a red stripe around the edge, tied with a black bow behind her head. She wears a long black dress with a fitted bodice, a bustle, and black lacy decorations. She has a red bag that appears to hang from her waist and wears tan gloves. In her hand she holds a small rectangular object that could be a small bag or closed book. She stands on a grassy field with a body of water in the background under the light blue cloudy sky. A small white sheep drinks from a saucer in the bottom left corner, and more sheep are visible grazing in the background on the right. A few white sailboats dot the calm water on the horizon.