Young Moravian Girl

John Valentine Haidt, Young Moravian Girl, ca. 1755-1760, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the American Art Forum, 1987.32
Copied 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
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Young Moravian Girl
Artist
Date
ca. 1755-1760
Location
Dimensions
30 3⁄8 x 25 1⁄4 in. (77.2 x 64.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the American Art Forum
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
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.