Sully was known as an accomplished portraitist when he created this painting. It depicts Eliza Ridgely, aged then only 15 years old, the daughter of Nicholas Ridgely, a wealthy merchant from Baltimore. The young girl appears dressed in a satin Empire dress, typical of the upper classes female fashion of her time, while she is playing gently an harp. The musical instrument is a symbol of her social status and her talent and intellectual interests. The portrait presents Eliza with a deliberate idealized appearance. Sully makes her look older than her age, and with disproportionated long legs. This exaggeration was on purpose, because like Sully stated: "From long experience I know that resemblance in a portrait is essential; but no fault will be found with the artist, at least by the sitter, if he improve the appearance." The portrait takes place with a background which opens into a landscape, with the sunset visible, giving the painting an atmosphere of a "romantic reverie", according with the National Gallery of Art website.[2][3][4]
