Who painted Girl with a Pitcher?

Girl with a Pitcher was painted by Mather Brown in 1808.

Where can I see Girl with a Pitcher?

Girl with a Pitcher is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Girl with a Pitcher?

Girl with a Pitcher is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Girl with a Pitcher

Mather Brown , 1808

Girl with a Pitcher is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Mather Brown. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Girl with a Pitcher is a black pen lithograph on wove paper executed by American‑British painter Mather Brown around 1808. The work measures roughly the size of a standard sheet and presents a single figure in an outdoor setting, rendered in a quick, sketch‑like manner that emphasizes line over tonal modeling.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a young woman standing in an open space, holding a pitcher in one hand. She wears a flowing, loosely fitted dress and a feather‑adorned hat, suggesting a casual, perhaps pastoral, moment. The background includes loosely indicated trees and a distant building capped with a spire, situating the figure within a tranquil, semi‑rural landscape.

Technique & Style

Brown employed the lithographic process, drawing directly with a pen on a prepared stone or metal plate. This method allowed for fluid, gestural lines that retain the immediacy of a sketch while enabling multiple impressions. The use of black ink on wove paper highlights the contrast between the crisp figure and the softer, atmospheric background.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1808, the print belongs to the early period of Brown’s career, when he was active in both the United States and England. The paper shows signs of age, including smudges and wear, indicating it has been handled or stored for over two centuries. Its provenance traces through private collections before entering a museum holding of early 19th‑century prints.