Who painted Girl in a Pink Dress?

Girl in a Pink Dress was painted by The Beardsley Limner in c. 1790.

Where can I see Girl in a Pink Dress?

Girl in a Pink Dress is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Girl in a Pink Dress?

Girl in a Pink Dress is associated with American Folk Art.

Can I buy a print of Girl in a Pink Dress?

Museum-quality prints of Girl in a Pink Dress are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Girl in a Pink Dress

The Beardsley Limner , 1790

Girl in a Pink Dress is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist The Beardsley Limner. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

As a portrait, it employs a straightforward composition with a three‑quarter view, emphasizing facial detail and modest drapery.

Girl in a Pink Dress is executed in oil on canvas, a support typical of early American portraiture, and measures 101.8 cm by 72.1 cm (height × width).

The work dates to 1790, reflecting the sitter’s attire and the painter’s limited palette of muted pinks and earth tones. As a portrait, it employs a straightforward composition with a three‑quarter view, emphasizing facial detail and modest drapery. The painting’s provenance traces from a Massachusetts record to a 1949 sale to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who later gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1953.

History & Provenance

Girl in a Pink Dress is an oil‑on‑canvas portrait attributed to the 18th‑century American folk artist Beardsley Limner, painted around 1790 in Massachusetts. The work entered the market through Richard C. Morrison of the Fenway Art Center, who sold it in 1949 to collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; the couple later donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art, where it has been part of the permanent collection since 1953. The painting measures approximately 101.8 cm by 72.1 cm and remains on display at the Gallery’s Washington, D.C. location.

Overview

This oil on canvas portrait, titled Girl in a Pink Dress, was created around 1790 by an artist known as The Beardsley Limner. The painting depicts a young girl standing before a window, her figure rendered with a sense of quiet presence. It offers a glimpse into the late 18th-century practice of portraiture, capturing individual likenesses within domestic settings.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a young girl, dressed in a light pink gown accented with white trim at the neckline and sleeves. Her dark hair falls in loose waves, framing a serious expression that suggests a moment of contemplation. She holds a small bouquet of flowers, adding a delicate detail to her pose.

Behind her, a window with red curtains opens onto a serene landscape of rolling hills beneath a blue sky, grounding the subject within a natural world.

Context

Created around 1790, this portrait reflects the artistic conventions of its era, a period when individual likenesses were often commissioned for personal and familial record. The Beardsley Limner, an artist whose identity is largely defined by their body of work rather than extensive biographical detail, captured the likeness of this young girl, providing a visual document of a specific individual from the late 18th century.