Mrs. Cordes was the mother of Catherine Cordes Prioleau (Mrs. Samuel) who was painted by Fraser in 1820 as an older woman. According to an inscription on the gold rim of the locket the miniature was taken when Mrs. Cordes was sixty-eight years old. In a manner not unlike the style of Henri it depicts an older woman in an unidealized way, with a double chin and a quizzical expression. The verso contains a pastoral scene in monochromatic browns of a stylishly dressed woman playing with a dog and birds.
Notes:
This text is adapted from Martha Severens "The Miniature Portrait Collection of the Carolina Art Association" published by the Carolina Art Association, 1984
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