Artwork
Elizabeth Fulford Welshman
Elizabeth Fulford Welshman is an oil painting by the Baroque artist John Greenwood. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:center left: J. Greenwood pinx: / 1749.
About this work
Technique & Style
It is classified as a painting and currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.
Executed in 1749, this portrait is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 91.4 cm in height and 71.1 cm in width. It is classified as a painting and currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The available records identify the medium and support but do not provide specific details regarding the artist's handling, the physical condition of the surface, or a detailed analysis of its formal and stylistic qualities.
History & Provenance
John Greenwood painted this portrait of Elizabeth Fulford Welshman in 1749 in oil on canvas, measuring 91.4 by 71.1 cm. The work entered the New York collection of the dealer Victor Spark and was sold on 18 December 1948 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The Garbisches gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1961, where it remains in the permanent collection. The Garbisches later noted the painting had been found in Maryland, a detail that does not appear in Spark's own records.
Overview
John Greenwood’s 1749 oil on canvas portrays Elizabeth Fulford Welshman seated against a modest landscape. The composition centers the sitter, whose attire and accessories convey her social standing, while a tree and distant scenery provide a subdued backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait features a woman in a blue dress trimmed with white ruffles, complemented by a pink shawl. Her dark hair is gathered at the back, and she holds a pearl necklace and a ribbon, suggesting personal adornment and perhaps a reference to marital or familial ties.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
John Greenwood painted people—portraits and family scenes in the late 1700s. Look at *The Greenwood-Lee Family* or *Mrs. Henry Bromfield* to see how he framed faces and clothes with quiet detail. These works sit in that…
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