Artwork
The Daughters of Daniel T. MacFarlan
The Daughters of Daniel T. MacFarlan is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Theodore E. Pine. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Theodore E.
About this work
Two girls sit side by side on a sofa, their matching white dresses bright against dark wood, a small dog curled between them with its head on the younger one's lap. Sunlight from a window catches their faces and the folds of cloth. Painted in 1857, when most portraits stayed stiff and formal, Theodore E. Pine lets the moment feel relaxed and real.
Technique & Style
Pine’s technique combines precise brushwork with a muted palette to render a young girl alongside a dog, emphasizing realism and intimate narrative.
Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures roughly 142.2 cm by 111.8 cm and belongs to the portrait genre within the American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Pine’s technique combines precise brushwork with a muted palette to render a young girl alongside a dog, emphasizing realism and intimate narrative. The canvas support is stretched and primed, typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century portrait practice, while the handling appears consistent with standard museum conservation standards.
Formal elements include balanced composition, careful modeling of flesh tones, and subtle chiaroscuro that highlight the subjects’ interaction. No specific condition issues are documented in the available records.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1857 by Theodore E. Pine, The Daughters of Daniel T. MacFarlan is an oil on canvas portrait measuring 142.2 cm x 111.8 cm. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed in The American Wing. Its subject shows a girl accompanied by a dog, a composition documented in both the museum’s catalog and Wikidata. The painting’s title, date, and medium are recorded in the museum’s internal entry, confirming its creation history. No documentation of the patron who commissioned the portrait has been identified in the available sources.
Overview
Theodore E. Pine's 1857 oil on canvas, "The Daughters of Daniel T. MacFarlan," presents a double portrait of two young girls. This work is notable for its departure from the formal conventions of mid-19th century portraiture, instead capturing a seemingly spontaneous and intimate moment. The inclusion of a family pet further contributes to the painting's relaxed and personal atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts two young girls, likely sisters, seated side-by-side on a sofa, their white dresses illuminated by natural light. A small dog rests comfortably between them, its head gently placed on the lap of the younger child. This arrangement conveys a sense of quiet companionship and domestic ease, presenting the subjects in a natural, unforced interaction rather than a conventional, stiffly posed tableau.
Artist & collection
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