Ever So Solemn

It’s very rare for children in eighteenth century portraiture to be depicted smiling but this poor child looks flushed and almost ready to burst into tears. With long brown curls and wearing a simple white dress frilled at the neckline and with a deep blue sash, it’s uncertain whether this is a boy or a girl, though instinct suggests the former.

The portrait is set with a brass surround in a much thinner than usual papier-mâché frame. The backing paper is  indistinctly inscribed and dated 1790. There’s no evidence that the frame ever had a traditional hanger so a very serviceable make-do ring has been added.