Mrs. Grace Rose Ely

Touches of individuality, such as the irregular folds of Mrs. Ely’s collar, bring warmth to this portrait of a minister’s wife from the small town of Westfield, Massachusetts. Ralph E. W. Earl learned to appreciate such details through early training with his father, who was also a traveling portrait painter. This was probably one of the younger Earl’s first commissions, created around age 15. Later study in England improved his knowledge of anatomy and led to prestigious commissions, including numerous portraits of President Andrew Jackson and his family.

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