Mrs. Durrie and her Child by Ann Hall, N.A.,  
 inscribed, signed and dated Branford, Connecticut, 1850.

  In his venerated 1834 A History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States, William Dunlop commented on Ann Hall's miniatures, noting that "the flowers and the children combine in an elegant and well-arranged bouquet."  

It is likely that the sitters in this portrait are the wife and second son of fellow Connecticut artist George Henry Durrie (1820-1863), along with Ann Hall, a member of the National Academy of Design.  Hall frequently returned to Connecticut to visit family.  Durrie's studio was in New Haven.  This miniature, signed and dated Branford, Connecticut, 1850, names the sitter as "Mrs. Durrie."  In 1841, George Henry Durrie married Sarah Perkins.  Their second son, Benjamin Woodhouse, was born in 1847.  By 1850, the sixty-two year old Hall was taking very few public commissions.  It is probable that this enchanting double-portrait was executed for her colleague. 
 
Set in a gilt wood frame with the original brass mat with beaded bezel.  The oval miniature is inscribed on the reverse, Ann Hall pinxt/ 1850/ Mrs. Durrie/ Branford, Ct. 
 
7 1/4 inches high.
 
Ann Hall, N.A. (1792-1863) held the honor of being the first and only woman elected in the 19th century as an academician of the National Academy of Design.  A native of Promfret, Connecticut,  Hall's well-educated, prosperous family encouraged her talent.  She received lessons from Samuel King in Newport before moving to New York to study with Alexander Robertson.  In New York, Hall lived with her sister's family.  She kept a studio on the fourth floor of their home on Bond Street.  Though  Hall did take some commissions, the majority of her known miniatures are of her family.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses portraits of Hall's brother, sister and her niece and nephew.

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