Sojourner Truth

American 19th Century

National Gallery of Art

This sepia-toned photograph shows a seated woman visible from approximately the knees up. Her body is facing slightly to the right, and she is looking directly at us. She has dark skin, defined cheekbones, deep-set eyes behind thin glasses, and her lips are set in a neutral expression. Her short hair is covered with a white cap. She is wearing a dark dress with a white fringed shawl draped over her shoulders. She is holding knitting needles and white yarn, one of her hands resting in her lap and the other on a small table on the right. The table next to her is covered with a patterned cloth and holds a vase with a bouquet of flowers, a book, and what looks like a piece of paper. The background is a plain, neutral wall. Below the photograph are two lines of text in red.