Young Moravian Girl

John Valentine Haidt, Young Moravian Girl, ca. 1755-1760, oil on canvas, 30 ³⁄₈ x 25 ¹⁄₄ in. (77.2 x 64.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the American Art Forum, 1987.32

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Artwork Details

Title: Young Moravian Girl
Artist: John Valentine Haidt
Date: ca. 1755-1760
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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2nd Floor
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South Wing
Dimensions: 30 ³⁄₈ x 25 ¹⁄₄ in. (77.2 x 64.2 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of the American Art Forum
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Portrait female — unidentified — child
Object Number: 1987.32
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1987.32

Artwork Description

This girl's flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and graceful gestures hint at a vibrant personality. The artist, who was a lay preacher and painter in the Moravian community, lavished great care in rendering details of her traditional costume—from the pointed waistline to the elegantly slit sleeves. The Moravians were a communal society that began in the fifteenth century in Moravia and Bohemia, which today are parts of the Czech Republic. Many Moravians settled in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, seeking the religious freedom that led many people of various faiths to migrate to America.