Artwork Page for Anna Dummer Powell

Details / Information for Anna Dummer Powell

Anna Dummer Powell

1764
(American, 1738–1815)
Culture
America
Measurements
Framed: 143.5 x 119 x 7 cm (56 1/2 x 46 7/8 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 126.6 x 100.6 cm (49 13/16 x 39 5/8 in.)
Public Domain
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The museum also owns Copley’s original bill of sale for this painting and its frame.

Description

Less than two months before the 80-year-old Powell passed away, one of her sons commissioned this portrait in order to commemorate her life and create an heirloom for future generations. According to the sitter’s granddaughter, Powell was “a little woman of sober conviction and strong Presbyterian faith.” The painting passed through a line of female descendants until shortly before it was given to the museum.
A vertically oriented oil painting depicts an older woman with light skin tone seated in a tall, red wingback chair. Facing slightly right, she wears a black dress with white ruffled cuffs and a sheer white shawl. A white cap covers her hair. Her right hand holds a book with a gilded spine. Smooth brushstrokes capture her aged face and the soft sheen of the velvet chair against a dark background.

Anna Dummer Powell

1764

John Singleton Copley

(American, 1738–1815)
America

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