Little Child with Big Dog
1848
Artist: William Matthew Prior (1806-1873)
Category: portrait painting
Medium: oil on canvas
Collection of the New York State Historical Association.
Description: The portrait is a full-length, frontal view of a child with a large black dog sitting behind him and a knife, a blue hat with a white plume, and a red book at his feet. The child holds a whip in her right hand and a painted rattle in the left. ChildŐs hair is parted in center; wears a coral necklace and bracelet; a knee length blue dress with dropped shoulders and short sleeves, fringed at the edge; white pantalets; red stockings with black diamond checks; black shoes. Backdrop shows a blue sky, pink clouds and trees.
References:
Harper, Sharon Elizabeth. "William Matthew Prior: The Art and life of a Naive (sic?)painter". Thesis presented to Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts., 1966.
Jones, Agnes Halsey and Louis C. "New Found Folk Art of the Young Republic",.American Heritage, April 1960, p. 53.
Little, Nina Fletcher. "William Matthew Prior", Primitive Painters in America, 1750-1950. Jean Lipman & Alice Winchester, eds. New York: Dodd Mead & Co. 1950. Pp. 80-89.
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