Original artwork description:

The inspiration for this piece came from the Early American portraits done by itinerant painters in the 18th and early 19th centuries. How proud families must have been of these portraits, though to us they can seem flat and unpolished. Many of these artists had scant interest or knowledge of perspective and anatomy. And it is this naivete that can give their pictures such charm.

So I did a take off in the form of this gentleman in fancy dress, and it seemed to belong in a museum rather than a house. I invented the title - hinting at a kind of New England location - and sought to give the picture a museum quality. The room is sparsely furnished and you get a glimpse of another gallery in the space beyond. My signature is on a piece of paper jutting out from the drop leaf desk.

Although this picture dates to 1994, it is as fresh and as enduring for me today as it was then.

Materials used:

Paper, wood veneer, glue, museum board

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