Young Girl and Dog

Percy Moran, Young Girl and Dog, 1890, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell, 1939.4.1
Copied Percy Moran, Young Girl and Dog, 1890, oil on canvas, 1412 18 in. (35.530.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell, 1939.4.1
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Artwork Details

Title
Young Girl and Dog
Artist
Date
1890
Dimensions
1412 18 in. (35.530.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — full length
  • Animal — dog — greyhound
  • Landscape
Object Number
1939.4.1

Artwork Description

In 1909, Percy Moran’s work was described as “quiet in character, telling a story of love or some incident connected with home life.” This scene of a young girl and her dog in a windswept field is a romantic image of American colonial life. The subject was a popular one in the 1890s, appearing in books, newspaper serials, and magazines. The colonial revival in America came at a time when industrialization was changing the nation’s landscape and altering the way people lived. The literature, architecture, and paintings that appeared during this time often presented a nostalgia for America’s age of homespun.