Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his Daughter, Edith
Artist
George Peter Alexander Healy
(American, 1813–1894)
Date1869
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionscanvas: 146.1 x 108.9 cm (57 1/2 x 42 7/8 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineGift of Mrs. J.F. Bowers
Object number1972.141
DescriptionAn elderly bearded man is seated in an ornate red chair, holding a thin book in his left hand. A young, blond girl stands on his right, leaning slightly toward the man. She is wearing a dress of emerald green, a hair ribbon matching the dress. The background shows an outdoor scene of trees and a late afternoon sky.Label TextA native of Boston, Healy opened a studio in that city in 1831. Although chiefly self-taught, he had a successful practice and in 1834 went to Paris for study. There, his portrait of the American minister brought him to the attention of King Louis-Philippe. This royal patronage assured Healy’s success in Europe. Returning to America in 1848, he found equal enthusiasm for his work in this country. Spending his later years in Paris, Rome and Chicago, Healy became America’s first portraitist of international reputation, noted for his likenesses of both Presidents and foreign royalty. This is one of two portraits Healy painted of Longfellow. Recently a widower, Longfellow posed in Rome with his daughter Edith “with the golden hair,” made famous in his poem The Children’s Hour. This portrait is an interesting study of contrasts in which its feeling of somber monumentality is balanced by the tender sympathy between the poet and his daughter. ProvenanceJ.F. Bowers, North Andover MA
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