Portrait of a Connecticut Clockmaker’s Wife

Ralph Earl, Portrait of a Connecticut Clockmaker's Wife, ca. 1800, oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.3
Copied Ralph Earl, Portrait of a Connecticut Clockmaker's Wife, ca. 1800, oil on wood, 10 147 78 in. (26.020.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.3
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Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of a Connecticut Clockmaker’s Wife
Artist
Attributed to Ralph Earl
Date
ca. 1800
Dimensions
10 147 78 in. (26.020.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Orrin Wickersham June
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait female — unidentified
  • Cityscape — Connecticut
Object Number
1967.136.3

Artwork Description

This painting of a Connecticut clockmaker’s wife was meant to hang to the right of her husband’s portrait, preserving their images and values for subsequent generations. Ralph Earl showed her holding a book, possibly a Bible, as a sign of piety and literacy. The drapery in the background was a compositional device that the artist learned when he studied portraiture in England.