Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object |
Painting |
Title |
Alice Pratt |
Artist/Creator |
Keeley, Isaac H. |
Date |
1858 |
Description |
Portrait of young girl/toddler (identified as Alice Pratt). Alice has blue eyes and thin light hair and is wearing an open shouldered white dress with lace and blue bows on the arms. She is holding an orange in her left hand and a blue and white bootie in her right, which she has removed from her right foot. She sits on a red tufted cushion on a carpet with a floral pattern. |
Width (inches) |
29.000 |
Height (inches) |
36.000 |
Information |
Alice Pratt (1857-1895) was the eldest of four daughters of Col. John Pratt and Mary Louise Dewey of Bennington. In spring of 1858 itinerant portrait painter Isaac Keeley came to Bennington and advertised his services in the Bennington Banner. Several prominent families took advantage of the opportunity including the Pratts, who hired the artist to paint their young daughter. The Banner published a review of the artist’s work on April 30, and praised this portrait in particular stating that, "We will not attempt to describe the beauties of this likeness for fear we should soar too high. Were it ours, it could not be bought for a large farm." One of the remarkable things about this painting is that few itinerant portrait painters were still executing such vital portraits after 1850 (most had moved on to photography). Alice never married and died at the young age of 38. The portrait remained in the family until 2005, when it was donated to the Museum. |
Related People |
Pratt, Alice Maria Keeley, Isaac H. |
Credit line |
Gift in memory of Isabel Norton Cushman |
Catalog Number |
2005.115 |