Artwork
Mrs. Joseph Kelly
Mrs. Joseph Kelly is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Charles Backofen. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
About this work
The woman's hair is styled in an updo, and she wears jewelry, including a necklace and earrings.
This painting is a portrait of a woman. She is seated and wears a dress with lace details on the shoulders. The background is dark, with a curtain visible behind her.
The woman's hair is styled in an updo, and she wears jewelry, including a necklace and earrings. Her expression is neutral, and she looks directly at the viewer.
The painting is a portrait of Mrs. Joseph Kelly, created by Charles Backofen in 1850. It is held at the Brooklyn Museum. To learn more about the artist's use of light and shadow, look up the technique of chiaroscuro.
Overview
Charles Backofen’s oil portrait, dated around 1850, depicts a seated woman identified as Mrs. Joseph Kelly. The work is part of the collection at the Brooklyn Museum, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑nineteenth‑century portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is presented in a formal pose, her gaze meeting the viewer directly. She wears a dress with delicate lace at the shoulders, an up‑do hairstyle, and modest jewelry—a necklace and earrings—suggesting a respectable middle‑class status of the period.
Technique & Style
Backofen employs a subdued palette and strong contrasts between the darkened backdrop and the illuminated figure, a chiaroscuro effect that models the facial features and fabric folds. The brushwork is smooth, emphasizing the clarity of the portrait’s details.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1850, the painting entered the Brooklyn Museum’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, though specific details of its previous owners remain undocumented.
Context
Portraits of this type were common among American families seeking to record their lineage and social standing during the antebellum era. The inclusion of a curtain behind the sitter provides a neutral setting typical of studio portraits of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Backofen loved painting faces so much he moved to Philadelphia in the 1840s just to be near enough clients who’d sit still.
