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| Accession # | 48.8 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Ralph Earl |
| Title | Clarissa Seymour (later Mrs. Truman Marsh) |
| Date | 1789 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 47 9/16 x 35 15/16 in. (120.8 x 91.3 cm) frame: 49 13/16 x 38 3/16 x 2 3/8 in. (126.5 x 97 x 6 cm) |
| Signed | Signed left center: "R.Earl Pinxt 1789" |
| Credit Line | Museum Collection Fund |
| Location | American Identities: Art Making / Centennial Era |
Curatorial Remarks: Ralph Earl prepared this canvas by applying two overall priming layers, dark red followed by gray. These layers were not fully dried when he began painting the portrait. As the priming continued to dry, it pulled the upper image layers apart, revealing the darker colors below, as in the skirt. The sloped, soft edges of these drying cracks distinguish them from age cracks, which have sharper, broken edges. Because the cracks resulted from the artist’s working practice rather than damage, Museum conservators opted to leave them visible in the most recent restoration.
