Member of the Carroll Family

Unidentified · ca. 1825

The cream- and rose-colored hues in the background of this miniature complement the sitter’s dreamy expression. The unknown artist chose to emphasize the gentleman’s high forehead, a physical characteristic that, in the nineteenth century, was thought to reveal a poetic intelligence. On the miniature’s reverse, the artist painted a full portrait of a young woman bordered by trees and sky. The natural setting and the woman’s long flowing gown create a sentimental portrait of the gentleman’s lover.