Wonderfully Naive Early 19th C. Portrait of Young Woman on Silk, Framed folk art novelty so he is best propped

so he is best propped against something

Signed on the reverse by Merle

More evident in hand than in photos

but which someone long ago I assume filled with emergency first aid supplies

plus Dorothy-like painted red slippers

Wonderfully Naive Early 19th C. Portrait of Young Woman on Silk, Framed folk art novelty so he is best proppedSo many portraits, and faces, specifically, to fall in love with! The style of this young woman's blue dress makes me think this gouache and watercolor on silk dates to the 1820s or so, with the oval cut shape of the silk akin to the format of painted miniatures. But how much nicer for it to be a full length portrait, especially for including this exuberant bouquet spreading like a fan in her raised hand and with charmingly extended pinky wrapped