Artwork preview

Portrait of a Brother and Postmortem Sister

American 19th Century

National Gallery of Art

This grayscale photograph shows two children sitting closely together. The boy on the right has his arm around the girl on the left. The boy has short, dark hair and a neutral expression as he looks out at us. He is dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and a black bow tie. The girl has light-colored hair styled away from her face. Her eyes are closed, and her mouth looks partially open. She is wearing a light-colored dress with a necklace featuring a round pendant. Her limbs are very thin. The background is plain. The photo is surrounded by an ornate, gold-toned decorative frame.

Artwork Details

Date
c. 1850
Medium
ambrotype with applied color
Dimensions
8434 × 10671 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original