Artwork
Portrait of an Old Lady
Portrait of an Old Lady is an oil painting by the Realist artist J.C. Robinson. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. J.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:center left: B. [ ] / June 4 / 1784
About this work
Technique & Style
The portrait employs oil on canvas, a standard medium for mid-19th-century American portraiture, applied to a linen support measuring 66 cm in height and 55.
The portrait employs oil on canvas, a standard medium for mid-19th-century American portraiture, applied to a linen support measuring 66 cm in height and 55.3 cm in width. The handling reflects academic conventions of the period, with smooth, blended transitions in the modeling of the sitter’s features and drapery, suggesting a preparatory study and careful glazing typical of academic technique. Stylistically, the work adheres to the conservative realism associated with Robinson’s training in Europe, emphasizing lifelike representation and restrained emotional expression rather than painterly bravura.
The composition’s subdued palette and restrained brushwork underscore the portrait’s function as a dignified likeness rather than a display of technical virtuosity.
The painting’s condition is not detailed in the cited sources, though its institutional provenance, purchased in 1950 and gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1955, implies professional conservation and stable display history.
History & Provenance
Portrait of an Old Lady is an 1848 oil on canvas portrait by J.C. Robinson. Provenance records indicate the painting originated in Pennsylvania before being purchased in 1950 by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who later gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1955. The work remains in the Gallery's collection in Washington, D.C., where it is catalogued with dimensions of 66 cm by 55.3 cm.
Overview
J.C. Robinson's Portrait of an Old Lady, painted in oil on canvas in 1848, presents a focused depiction of an elderly woman. This painting serves as a direct and unembellished study of its subject, characteristic of portraiture from the mid-19th century. The artist captures her with a steady presence, inviting viewers to observe her closely within a simple, dark setting.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features an older woman with a round face, whose direct and steady gaze engages the viewer. She is attired in a black cap and a red garment adorned with small white dots, suggesting a particular style of dress. Her hands are positioned on a dark surface, gently holding a small, fabric-wrapped object, the nature of which remains ambiguous. The composition emphasizes her face, making her expression central to the work.
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