Artwork
Martha Eliza Stevens Edgar Paschall
Martha Eliza Stevens Edgar Paschall is an oil painting. It dates from 1823 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
As an American 19th-century piece, it adheres to the formal conventions of portraiture from that era, utilizing traditional oil techniques to render the sitter.
Created in 1823, this work is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The portrait measures 132.5 cm in height and 102.6 cm in width. As an American 19th-century piece, it adheres to the formal conventions of portraiture from that era, utilizing traditional oil techniques to render the sitter.
The painting has been maintained in the collection of the National Gallery of Art since 1983, having passed through the sitter's family lineage for over a century prior to its acquisition.
History & Provenance
The portrait remained within the Paschall family: from Martha Eliza Stevens Edgar Paschall to her daughter Eugenia Paschall (later Mrs. Walter Carr) in St. Louis, then to Eugenia’s daughter Martha Eliza Carr (later Mrs. John Young), who moved the painting to Geneseo, New York. It subsequently passed to Martha Eliza Carr’s daughters, Mary Paschall Young Doty and Katharine Campbell Young Keck. The work stayed with Doty in Geneseo until 1970, then transferred to Keck in Washington, D.C., and was donated to the National Gallery of Art in 1983. The painting is dated to 1823.
The painting is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the museum's collection as a gift in 1983, following a chain of ownership that began with the sitter, passed to her daughter Eugenia Paschall, then to later descendants, and finally to the museum. The work's provenance traces the painting from its creation in 1823 through several generations of the Paschall and Young families before its donation to the National Gallery. The painting remains part of the gallery's portrait collection, though no specific accession number is recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting depicts Martha Eliza Stevens Edgar Paschall, captured in a seated pose. The subject is shown against a patterned rug, dressed in a blue gown adorned with white lace and a belt. She is positioned next to a green chair featuring gilded embellishments. The portrait offers a detailed representation of the sitter and her surroundings.
Context
While specific historical details about this portrait are limited, its stylistic characteristics align with elements often found within the Romanticism movement. This artistic current, prevalent during the 19th century, frequently emphasized emotional expression, individualism, and a detailed, often idealized, representation of its subjects. The painting's focus on a singular figure and its detailed execution resonate with aspects of this broader artistic trend.
Artist & collection
