Mother and Daughters – 1853

A mother and her two daughters pause under shady trees during their outdoor walk. The older daughter wears a lavender and pink horizontally striped dress with a heavily-fringed blue shawl with black stripes. The dress is slightly above ankle length. Her sleeves are pagoda style with wide hems edged with elaborate white lace. Her high necked blouse has a ruffle at the neck. She has a bracelet on one wrist. She wears short low heeled black boots, and an intricately woven bonnet with ribbon and rosettes that frame her face.

The bonnet is tied snugly with a wide pink ribbon. The mother wears an aqua green dress with a three-tiered skirt. The fabric has a purple floral motif. Her blouse bodice has white buttons down the center with white lace ruffles along the placard, sleeves, and collar. She wears a heavily-fringed vivid blue mantelet with black stripes and points at the center front. Her white bonnet is trimmed with blue and white flowers. She wears two bangle bracelets, and she reaches forward to her younger daughter. The girl wears a green and white horizontal striped dress over white lace pantalettes.

The bodice of her dress has green horizontal ruching across her chest and along the edges. The bodice has dropped shoulders, elbow length sleeves full at the hem and edged with white lace, and a peplum. She wears a white blouse with a jewel neck. She wears short blue boots and a wide brimmed straw hat trimmed and tied with white ribbon; she holds a small bouquet of flowers. A neoclassical balustrade and urn are visible in the background.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges