Phillips girl red dress

Ammi Phillips often used the same outfits for his sitters to save him time with his painting. During the early 1800s it was not uncommon for young boys to be dressed in dresses the same as girls of the same age. Phillips used the bright red dress very often in both male and female portraits with small details to help differentiate between the two such as a girl may hold a flower while a boy will hold a tiny hammer. Here the young girl can be seen with her pets as well as a pretty red necklace.