Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1862 at lower left, the canvas with Goupil & Cie of New York stencil, presented in the likely original gilt composition frame with arched spandrel.

SS 26.5 x 21.5 in.; DOA 38.5 x 33.5 in.

Revered for his sentimentalized depictions of young children, John George Brown's paintings are in many prominent public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

The painting offered here is particularly poignant since it may reflect the artist's thoughts as his adopted nation plunged ever deeper into bloody civil war. The young girl gazes directly and confidently at the viewer, her pudgy rosy cheeks indicative of her sweet innocence. This notion of innocence and purity is further enhanced by the depiction of daisies gathered and held in her straw hat. Resting one hand firmly atop a rocky outcrop, the hazy landscape behind her is dark and fairly foreboding. One cannot help but wonder if Brown sees hope for the future of his adopted country through the eyes of this young girl.

Three small patches on the verso; some chipping to frame.

$8,000 - 12,000