Portrait of Melissa Smith Sprague

Oil painting on canvas is a portrait of Melissa Smith Sprague as a young woman. Sala Bosworth painted the portrait around 1828. Sprague is shown seated, turned slightly to the left, in front of a plain background. Her right hand is visible in the lower left corner of the painting. She is wearing a dark dress with a tall lace collar. The dress buttons down the front and is embellished with lace. The dress is accented at the waist by a belt that has floral designs and a decorative buckle. Sprague wears a double strand of pearls at her neck and drop earrings. Her dark hair is tightly curled and she wears a round hat.

H 18637