Young Moravian Girl

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Artist: John Valentine Haidt (American, 1700–1780)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 30 3/8 x 25 1/4 in. (77.2 x 64.2 cm.)
Museum: Smithsonian Institution
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

This girl's flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and graceful gestures hint at a vibrant personality. The artist, who was a lay preacher and painter in the Moravian community, lavished great care in rendering details of her traditional costume—from the pointed waistline to the elegantly slit sleeves. The Moravians were a communal society that began in the fifteenth century in Moravia and Bohemia, which today are parts of the Czech Republic. Many Moravians settled in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, seeking the religious freedom that led many people of various faiths to migrate to America.