A Portrait of a Woman

I came across this portrait of a woman in an antique store recently. It was unframed and a little tattered but I think it's nicely done. I'm often drawn to portraits. It's hard not to imagine who the person was, or perhaps if still living, where they are.

I also like that a portrait is like looking through the eyes of the artist who painted it. You know that they knew the person, perhaps just briefly, but nevertheless their depiction captures one brief moment of an entire lifetime. And I think that's where the fascination lies....it's like reading a book that starts in the middle and has no ending.

I happened to have an antique frame that fit her perfectly - both in size and in style. As you can see in the first photo, it has a lovely floral detail that I think complements her quite beautifully.

I bought the painting for $44. The frame is something I picked up last summer for $20.