I've got a penchant for antique portraits of young woman posed at thresholds of sorts--here a lovely young woman in blue at a window, looking out--as they seem very much about passage from youth to adulthood, innocence to knowing, etc., and often a certain longing in both directions at once. This watercolor, c. 1840s I believe, is finely done--very much with the precision of a miniature, though it is not that small--with the handling of the scarf draped under her hands and elbows especially beautifully done. I love the combination of red, white and blue, too, surely symbolic of a certain patriotism, though I am not entirely sure if British or French; I might guess the latter. In a very nice lemon gold frame where it has clearly lived for a long time if not forever.
10 3/4" x 8 7/8" framed. Sight: 6 1/2" x 4 1/2". Excellent antique condition.
