Lida Elston, O/C Portrait of an African American

Ann Eliza "Lida" Elstun (Ohio, 1852-1940) oil on canvas portrait of an African American youth, with short dark hair and black shirt, set against a gold background. Wide cove molded gilt wood frame. Unsigned. 19" H x 16" W sight, 24 3/4" H x 21 3/4" W framed. Note: Lyde Elstun was a graduate of the Cincinnati Art Academy, where she likely studied under prominent portrait artist Frank Duveneck. She specialized in oil paintings but also painted floral watercolors. Upon her death, she bequeathed a building to the Cincinnati Art Academy and $2,500 for a cemetery plot for indigent persons as a memorial to war veterans. Sources: Jeffrey Weidman, Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900: A Biographical Dictionary; James Store Elston: The Elstun Family in America. Provenance: by descent in the Eltsun family (alternately spelled Elston) to current consignor.
Condition Report: Canvas in need of restretching; paint thin near lower edge, likely from being rolled. Stretcher appears later. A couple of scratches up to 1/2"L lower left and right quadrants.