Portrait of Three Women Cigar Box Makers

American 19th Century

National Gallery of Art

The image displays three women sitting side by side, captured from the waist up. They are seated in a formal portrait style with their hands resting on their laps or held up. The woman on the left has long hair pulled back into a braid and is holding a framed photo. She wears a striped outfit with a dark top and a plaid apron over her skirt. The central woman has her hair tightly pulled back and holds a photograph in a geometric frame. She is dressed in a dark outfit with a bow tie at her collar and a light-colored apron over her lap. The woman on the right also has pulled-back hair and is holding a framed photo in both hands. She wears a buttoned dress with a white collar and a checked apron similar to the woman on the left. They are seated on a studio backdrop with a natural scenery background, which includes what looks like painted trees and an indistinct light area above their heads. The ground under their feet seems to be a textured surface, resembling grass or a rug.