Walter Blackman (American, 1847-1928), Portrait of a Woman

Oil on canvas, not signed, presented in an ornate giltwood frame.

Stretcher size 22 x 18 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 33 3/4 x 29 1/2 in.

From the Historic Collection of Limestone University, Gaffney, South Carolina
Limestone College, now Limestone University, was founded in 1845 in Gaffney, South Carolina, by English-born Baptist minister Dr. Thomas Curtis and his son William. Originally established as the Limestone Springs Female High School, it was among the first women’s colleges in the nation and the very first in the state. The institution found its early roots in a former resort hotel near healing springs, later struggling due to the Civil War and Reconstruction. It revived in 1881 as the Cooper‑Limestone Institute, thanks to benefaction from industrialist Peter Cooper, and adopted the name Limestone College.

Walter Blackman was an American painter known for his figure studies, portraits, and genre scenes. Born in New York, he trained in Paris under Jean-Léon Gérôme and was influenced by Alexandre Cabanel. Blackman exhibited extensively, including at the National Academy of Design, the Paris Salon, the Royal Academy in London, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Tear at upper left corner, puncture at upper edge, and a one-inch puncture to the subject's forehead, age cracking and waviness to the canvas.