Acrylic and plastic on lace by Frank B. Oldfield
25"x31"
Donated by the artist

The texture of the lace lends a luster to the complexion. Careful placement of Christmas poinsettias adds an Easter Island element to this remarkable portrait of the sixteenth president's wife. A painting that could have changed the course of the Civil War.

Painted layer by layer on four sheets of lace and adorned with previously used holiday decorations, this painting was a favorite of the artist. Mr. Oldfield presented the work as a gift to a friend and was saddened when it was returned, unwanted. Upon hearing of MOBA and its resolve to provide a home for spectacular and unwanted pieces of art, he was thrilled. "I love it, I would never hang it on my wall, and it seems I can't give it away. Then I heard about MOBA and I rejoiced that there is a place where my painting will be seen and celebrated."