Naive Primitive Portrait of Young Girl Folk Art 20th Century Charming Work. Good in all respects. This beguiling portrait, a 20th-century naïve or folk painting, captures the disarming gaze of a young girl rendered with striking clarity and symbolic intent. The composition is both charming and subtly formal: the child is positioned frontally, seated against a high-backed red chair, her face framed by meticulously painted golden ringlets that evoke innocence and idealised beauty. Her expression is at once wide-eyed and enigmatic – an effect heightened by the smooth, porcelain-like surface of her skin and the symmetry of her posture. What sets this portrait apart is its powerful use of simplification. The artist has stripped away distraction in favour of emphasis, giving the subject an iconic quality. The pale blue dress with its puffed sleeves, so delicately shaded to suggest volume, contrasts with the vivid coral-red necklace and the single, centrally placed flower – a pink carnation or perhaps a rose – cradled lightly in her hands. These elements are more than decorative: they may symbolise youth, purity, and familial affection, themes that were often encoded into such domestic portraits. The background is a curious green pattern, faded and subdued, which may suggest wallpaper or a textile backdrop, giving the image an additional layer of period domesticity. Meanwhile, the use of reverse painting on glass – as indicated by the mirrored sheen and the stylised decorative border – situates this work within a very particular tradition, often associated with American or European provincial art from the early to mid-1800s. These works were typically commissioned by families of modest means to celebrate lineage and memory, lending them both historical and sentimental value. Please excuse reflection in photography. Overall artwork dimensions 16.5″ x 13″. 105% moneyback if not delighted. Sherwood Forest Fine Arts is a well established online antique art dealer offering an eclectic mix of oils, watercolours and prints from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Having completed over 15 years of online trading and 30 years art dealing, it has been a delight and pleasure to establish long-term relationships with so many satisfied customers across the world. We will send our fine art anywhere. Our customers include The Courtauld Institute, London; The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; The Met, New York; heads of department at Sotheby’s; as well as collectors and investors from around the world. More than your moneyback guarantee. SUBSCRIBE Be the first to see our new listings. Auctiva offers Free Image Hosting and Editing. Auctiva gets you noticed! Track Page Views With.