Lady with a harp: Eliza Ridgely

Sully, Thomas (1783-1872)


Item type:
painting
Date of creation:
1818
Height:
214.5 cm  (84 7/16 in.)
Width:
142.5 cm  (56 1/8 in.)
Technique / Medium:
oil on canvas

    Item location

  • National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC)
    [Museum inv. no.: 1945.9.1]Gift of Maude Monell Vetlesen

Description

From National Gallery website:
When Thomas Sully painted fifteen-year-old Eliza Ridgely in the spring of 1818, he was widely regarded as America's leading artist. Particularly noted for his graceful images of women, he was a natural choice to paint this Baltimore merchant's daughter. In painting Eliza, Sully emphasized her privileged social status as well as her delicate, youthful charm. Her family affluence is indicated by her up-to-the-minute hair style and dress, inspired by contemporary European designs in the neo-Grecian manner. The satin of her Empire gown is carefully described through fluid brushwork and brilliant highlights. Eliza, as a young lady of cultural accomplishment, posed with her European pedal harp. She idly plucks the harp strings and gazes dreamily into space, as if musing on the lyrical chord she strikes. A fiery sunset heightens the romantic reverie.

People as subjects

Ridgely, Eliza

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Harp [3285]

RIdIM images


Image URLs

image link 1

Bibliographic references

RIdIM record id

1604