Attributed to George Dury (Tennessee, 1817-1894), "The Rhea Sisters," large full-length oil on canvas portrait painting depicting three young girls standing against an abstract mottled brown background. The three sisters, identified as Byrd Rhea Robinson, Ann Rhea and Sara Rhea Hallowes, are wearing green, white, and pink dresses with wide sashes.The center child has pink flowers in her hair and is holding a straw hat with additional flowers, the young girl in the pink dress is also holding a pink flower and the young girl in the green dress holds onto the center sister's hand and arm. Unsigned. Housed in a period carved and stenciled gilt wood frame. Sight: 57 3/4" H x 44" W. Framed: 72 1/4" H x 57 1/2" W x 5" D. Circa 1887. Note: The sitters are believed to be the daughters of William D. Rhea and Lucy Ransom Rhea of Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Mr. Rhea's father, Col. Byrd Smith Rhea, was a drygoods merchant in Nashville. This painting has been documented by the TN Portrait Project (with outdated paternal information). The likely artist George Dury, studied art in Bavaria before immigrating to Tennessee, and was one of Nashville's most important 19th century portrait painters.

PROVENANCE: Deaccessioned from the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

The painting has been conserved and relined. UV light inspection shows areas of inpainting to face, neck and right arm of young girl wearing the green dress and minor inpainting to the face of the young girl in pink. Minor scattered inpainting to dresses and background. The frame with scattered light wear, abrasions and shrinkage.