Girl with Dove

The identity of the girl in this portrait has never been adequately resolved, a matter that complicates precise dating and provenance; the painting's early ownership in Rhode Island is the only available documented clue.
The incidence of boldly stamped signatures on early nineteenth-century panel paintings of any type is rare, yet Thompson seems to have done it with some frequency. This type of mark is not commonly seen on his southern portraits, most of which were executed on canvas rather than wood panels.
There are a number of stylistic nuances in the picture that suggest the early (ca. 1805) date assigned here. When compared with the Cuthbert portraits from Virginia (acc. nos. 1956-271 and 1956-272), this likeness seems more ambitious in composition but less sophisticated in rendering. The modeling of the girl's face, while convincing, is devoid of the strong shadows and the smooth blending of middle tones that characterize the treatment of the Cuthberts. The overall quality of this portrait is technically sound, however, and was undoubtedly inspired by academic methods. In this respect, Thompson's work falls outside the purview of folk painting, representing instead the skillful accomplishments of those native artists who must have had considerable studio training.

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