Honolulu Museum of Art:

Thomas Sully (American, 1783-1872)
Portrait of Elizabeth McEuen Smith, 1823
Oil on canvas
Purchase, Robert Allerton and Prisanlee Funds and with funds derived from the bequest of Katherine M. Jenks, 1985.

"Nobody ever painted more beautiful eyes," commented one nineteenth-century critic about the English-born American artist Thomas Sully's work. Sully, one of the East Coast's most sought-after portrait painters, was commissioned to complete this portrait of Elizabeth McEuen Smith by the subject's sister. The focus of Sully's depiction of Mrs. Smith is her oval face and her round, alert eyes. Her pose, with one hand resting charmingly under the chin, directs attention to her serene countenance and gaze. To conform to contemporary standards of beauty, Sully idealized the sitter's facial features, neck, and shoulders, and, an expert in creating harmonious color combinations and expressive tonal contrasts, he chose a palette of cool blue, glowing copper, and deep red to highlight her porcelain skin.

Sully's portraits reflect the Neoclassical aesthetic that had come to dominate the decorative arts in the United States by the early 19th century and that advanced the aim of classicism to promote an idealized vision of society and it's citizentry. In this painting, the exaggerated sweep of Elizabeth Smith's neckline, which gently pushes forward her refined facial features, represents the archetypical standard of feminine beauty during the Federal period.

Nikon J3 camera, 1 Nikkor 10mm f/2.8 lens.
Program mode, 1/60, f/2.8, iso800, 10mm (FOV 27mm).
Image: 1200h, lens corrected, hand-held.