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A Gentleman (recto), Memorial to Ann and Maria Dash (verso)

American Schoolcirca 1799

Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati, United States

While most memorials are dedicated to one person, occasionally they will be for two people. This piece possibly commemorates a mother and daughter. Ann Dash died in 1795 at age forty-one and was followed by Maria Dash in 1799 at age eight. The locket’s other side is a portrait of a man, probably the husband and father of the deceased.

The central motif is a bereaved woman standing by a monument. Clutching a handkerchief to her heart, she seems to take comfort from the angel who points to heaven as a reminder of life after death. The willow with its drooping branches was a further representation of grief. The memorial was personalized by using hair to form the plants and by mixing it into the paint for the grass.

Details

  • Title: A Gentleman (recto), Memorial to Ann and Maria Dash (verso)
  • Creator: American School
  • Date Created: circa 1799
  • Location: United States
  • Physical Dimensions: 3 x 2 1/4 in. (7.6 x 5.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fleischmann III
  • Accession Number: 2004.559
  • Medium: watercolor on ivory (recto), watercolor and hair on ivory (verso)

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