Portrait of Adelia Ellender

Joshua Johnson, Portrait of Adelia Ellender, ca. 1803-1805, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.55
Copied Joshua Johnson, Portrait of Adelia Ellender, ca. 1803-1805, oil on canvas, 26 1⁄4 x 21 1⁄8 in. (66.7 x 53.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.55
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of Adelia Ellender
Artist
Date
ca. 1803-1805
Location
Dimensions
26 1⁄4 x 21 1⁄8 in. (66.7 x 53.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — child
  • Portrait female — Ellender, Adelia
Object Number
1983.95.55
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.55

Artwork Description

Adelia Ellender lived in Baltimore, Maryland, where her father was a plasterer. Her dress follows the custom in this period of portraying children as miniature adults. The berries in her hand and the butterfly hovering in a rosebush nearby symbolize not only her childhood innocence but her eventual transformation into a lady.