Artwork
Girl with Reticule and Rose
Girl with Reticule and Rose is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Joseph Whiting Stock. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The titular reticule and rose function as key compositional and symbolic elements, integrating personal adornment with floral motif.
Painted in 1840, Girl with Reticule and Rose is an oil on canvas measuring 118.6 × 75 cm. The work exemplifies the straightforward, descriptive manner typical of American portrait painting of the period, with careful attention to the textures of fabric and accessories. The titular reticule and rose function as key compositional and symbolic elements, integrating personal adornment with floral motif. The handling appears direct and unidealized, consistent with Stock's known approach to likeness and material detail.
History & Provenance
Girl with Reticule and Rose was painted by Joseph Whiting Stock in 1840, executed in oil on canvas. Its documented ownership chain begins with David David, Inc. of Philadelphia, from which the painting may have been held until June 1958. It was then sold to Edith Gregor Halpert at the Downtown Gallery in New York, who in turn sold it in 1958 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch.
The Garbischs later bequeathed the work to the National Gallery of Art in 1980, where it remains in the collection. Early provenance prior to the Philadelphia gallery is unrecorded in the available documentation.
The painting Girl with Reticule and Rose is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the museum's holdings in 1980 through the bequest of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. Prior to this transfer, the work was sold in 1958 to the Garbisches by Edith Gregor Halpert of the Downtown Gallery in New York, having previously passed through the hands of David David, Inc., in Philadelphia. The artwork is recorded as having originated from New York before its mid-20th-century sales. The provided sources do not list any specific exhibitions in which the work has appeared.
Overview
Joseph Whiting Stock’s oil on canvas, painted around 1840, depicts a young girl positioned on a patterned rug. She is rendered with short brown hair, a white dress accented in pink, and blue shoes. In her hands she holds a single rose and a small black reticule, creating a modest yet composed scene.
Subject & Meaning
The figure’s attire and accessories convey a blend of youthful innocence and genteel refinement. The white dress and delicate rose suggest purity, while the reticule, a fashionable accessory of the period, implies a degree of social awareness, hinting at the child’s introduction to adult customs within a domestic setting.
Context
During the 1840s, American art was increasingly influenced by Romantic ideals, focusing on personal emotion and domestic virtue. Stock’s portrayal of a child with modest yet elegant objects reflects contemporary values that celebrated childhood as a distinct, cherished stage of life, echoing broader cultural narratives of the era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Whiting Stock (January 30, 1815 – 1855) was an American painter known for his portraits, miniatures, and landscape paintings, many of which he did on commission.
