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SAMUEL MILLER

PORTRAIT OF CYNTHIA MARY OSBORN, CA. 1843

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About the Artwork

In mid-19th-century New England, one in four children could be expected to die in infancy, and one in three before adulthood. It comes as little surprise, then, that many parents commissioned posthumous portraits to commemorate their beloved children. Of the 17 portraits attributed to Boston-based painter Samuel Miller, 14 are of children, and several contain Christian symbols of the afterlife, suggesting that they were painted posthumously, including this painting of Cynthia Osborn, who died in 1842 at the age of eight. Besides her gesture of plucking a rose (symbol of a life cut short), the presence of a goldfinch (symbol of the Resurrection), and the hoop she holds (a common toy that, in this context, may signify eternal life), Cynthia stands in front of a curious red gate, perhaps inspired by a line from Philip P. Cooke's popular poem, "Life in the Autumn Woods" (1843): "the lark at heaven's red gate / Soars joyously singing."

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About Our Prints

Quality
The Huntington Store Custom Prints offers exclusive custom reproductions of artworks in the collections of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Hand-made in the USA using gallery-quality materials, we create prints as true to the original work as possible, using strict color management protocols and state-of-the-art printing technology.
Selection
Many of the works offered through this store are exclusive and not available anywhere else. We are continually adding new artworks to our offering, so be sure to check back regularly as you build your own gallery. A variety of molding styles means our custom framed prints can match any type of decor.