portrait of Eleanor Burrill
Eleanor, daughter of James Burrill, Jr., U.S. Senator of Providence, RI (1772-1820)
Old family paper label on reverse: Born August 16, 1803/DiedMay 2, 1865/Artist Fr. Alexander/Painted about 1825/26
o/c, 36 by 32 in., original frame
Descended through the Burrill/Metcalf family of Providence, RI to the present.
Born in Killingly, Connecticut, Alexander lived and painted in Boston for ten years. Earning great popularity there, he painted a portrait of Charles Dickens in 1842. His other portraits include poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Noah Webster and President Andrew Jackson. In 1840 he became an honorary member of the National Academy of Design. He lived in Providence Rhode Island from 1823-1824 where he painted the portrait of Eleanor. Later in life he and his family lived in Italy where he died. His works are in the collections of the Metropolitan New York, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Washington D.C. National Gallery of Art, and Harvard University Art Museums. See lot 1. The inscription on the mat of the Ruskin watercolor is written by Francesca Alexander, daughter of Francis Alexander.

Old patch on reverse, 3.5".