Portrait of a Young Woman in a White Dress with Ruffled Collar

Attributed to William Doyle
Ca. 1800-1820.
Pastel on paper
29″ x 25″ framed
Provenance: Private Collection, Cape Cod, Purchased in 1974
William Doyle spent most of his career painting portraits of prominent Bostonians. He was known for painting miniatures, pastels, crayon as well as silhouette portraits. His pastels are distinctive from the modeled or halo-effect in the background of his subjects. This portrait of a young woman with almond-shaped eyes, slight smile and posturing are attributes of Doyle’s work.