Spencerian Portrait of a Woman with Folded Hands c. 1880s handwritten gentle strength

gentle strength

Circular are 1 3/16" in diameter

finely executed by a Caroline Waldimand (or perhaps Haldimand)

and for the most part

Spencerian Portrait of a Woman with Folded Hands c. 1880s handwritten gentle strengthHoly moly, Im not sure Ive ever seen a more beautiful detail that the interlocking fingers of this womans hands, framed by these gorgeous banded cuffs and calligraphic swoops and swirls all around. Perfection. I personally really love the tension between the calligraphic perfection of her dress and arms and cloak and the slight awkwardness of her face, too, which shows a bit of a wider silhouette for her hairstyle in pencil and an earlier attempt at