Little Girl with Flowers (Amelia Palmer)

The portrait is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is catalogued as Little Girl with Flowers (Amelia Palmer), accession 1975.1.207. The work was painted in 1830 and entered the Museum's collection in 1975. No further exhibition history is recorded in the cited sources.

The painting Little Girl with Flowers (Amelia Palmer) by Charles Cromwell Ingham, created in 1830, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and placed within the museum's American Wing. Its inclusion in this dedicated section of the museum has helped sustain scholarly attention to early American portraiture and has contributed to the work's enduring reputation as a representative example of the genre. The painting's presence in a major public collection ensures continued visibility and study, reinforcing its legacy within the narrative of American art history.

Charles Cromwell Ingham's 'Little Girl with Flowers (Amelia Palmer),' executed in 1830, is an oil-on-canvas portrait depicting a young girl, identified as Amelia Palmer, holding a basket of pink and white flowers. Painted in New York City during a period when portraiture frequently served to display social standing, the work distinguishes itself through its naturalistic approach. The subject is dressed in a white gown and stands against a simple interior setting where sunlight illuminates her lap and the wooden floor.

Unlike the rigid, formal poses common in early 19th-century American portraiture, the girl is captured in a moment of candid engagement; her head is turned upward as if reacting to a voice or presence just outside the frame. This dynamic composition, combined with the detailed rendering of the floral elements, reflects Ingham's skill in capturing youthful vitality and psychological presence. The painting stands as a significant example of Ingham's contribution to American genre portraiture, bridging the gap between formal representation and the emerging interest in everyday realism.

Painted in New York, "Little Girl with Flowers (Amelia Palmer)" emerged during a time when portraiture frequently served to underscore the social status and affluence of its subjects. While the painting still functions as a portrait, Ingham diverges from the era's typical formality. Instead, the artist offers a more intimate and less ostentatious portrayal, focusing on the individual's presence rather than overt symbols of wealth.