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James Earl

Portrait of Elisabeth Fales Paine and Her Aunt
Now On View

Maker

James Earl (American, 1761-1796)

Title

Portrait of Elisabeth Fales Paine and Her Aunt

Year

ca. 1794-1796

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Geography

Origin: United States of America

Dimensions

101.6 x 127 cm (40 x 50 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation and Special Gift Fund

Object Number

24.052

Type

Exhibition History

Raid the Icebox Now with Nicole Eisenman
Tonight We Are Going Out And We Are All Getting Hammered
Nov 01, 2019 – May 01, 2021
Making It In America
Oct 11, 2013 – Feb 09, 2014

Label copy

This double portrait serves a dual function: it commemorates the bond between Elizabeth and her aunt Sarah, and also celebrates Elizabeth’s maturation into a polished young woman. Orphaned as girl, Elizabeth was sent from Bristol, Rhode Island, to South Carolina to be raised by paternal relatives. She later returned to Rhode Island and married Samuel W. Bridgham, who subsequently was elected the first mayor of Providence.

Born in Massachusetts, artist James Earl immigrated to England as a youth to improve his skills and seek a larger audience. He re-crossed the Atlantic in 1794, hoping a temporary venture in Charleston would bring him wealth, but perished in 1796 in a yellow fever epidemic

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

James Earl (American, 1761-1796)
Portrait of Elisabeth Fales Paine and Her Aunt, ca. 1794-1796
Oil on canvas
101.6 x 127 cm (40 x 50 inches)
Museum Appropriation and Special Gift Fund 24.052

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