Portrait of Adelia Ellender

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

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Artwork Details

Title: Portrait of Adelia Ellender
Artist: Joshua Johnson
Date: ca. 1803-1805
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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3B
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: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
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.