Portrait of Mrs. Christian Henry Lilienthal

This portrait of Mrs. Christian Lilienthal (Susan) forms a pair with another portrait by Henry Augustus Loop of her husband. As was long traditional in portraits of married couples, they are turned toward each other. Mrs. Lilienthal’s choice to wear her lovely parure for the portrait would have been intentional. The set may be jet mourning jewelry, or perhaps inlaid tortoiseshell. Perhaps there was special occasion for commissioning these portraits from the artist, who painted their adult son Henry at the same time.