Portrait of a Woman before a Window

William Henry Brown

ca. 1850 · Cut paper against a lithographic background · Drawings and Prints

While its subject is unknown, this image has been linked to William Henry Brown, who was among the most prolific silhouette portraitists of the nineteenth century. Brown tended to affix his silhouettes to sepia-toned lithographs that mimicked the look of drawings, as is the case here. Usually made by cutting a profile portrait from black-inked paper, silhouettes were wildly popular throughout the nineteenth century. The democratic nature of the art form can be attributed to the affordability of the materials involved; as scissors, ink, and paper were relatively inexpensive, silhouettes could be commissioned for relatively small sums.

Artist

William Henry Brown

Date

ca. 1850

Medium

Cut paper against a lithographic background

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Mary Martin Fund, 1984