Portrait of a Woman

American 19th Century

National Gallery of Art

The image shows an older woman sitting upright in a wooden chair. She has a serene expression and is wearing a dark long-sleeved dress with a white collar and a decorative ribbon at the neck. Her hair is styled back and covered by a white cap. The woman's right arm is resting on the chair's arm and her left hand is holding a cylindrical object in her lap. The frame around the photograph is ornate and gilded, and the background is plain.