This oil-on-canvas portrait was painted by Thomas P. Rossiter (1818-1871), the husband of Anna Ehrick Parmly (1830-1856), whose younger sisters appear here. Anna died before the painting was completed.

Louisa Cotton Parmly (1840-1869) holds a book of Beethoven’s music, and Julia (Parmly) Billings (1835-1914) sits at the piano leafing through sheet music. Mary Montagu (Parmly) Ward (1831-1913) is in the center.

The sisters are the daughters of noted dentist Eleazer [Eleazer, Jehiel, Stephen, Stephen, John, John] and Anna Maria Valk (Smith) Parmly.

The artist was born in New Haven, New Haven County, Conn., and died in Cold Spring, Onondaga County, N.Y.

The painting was a gift to the Smithsonian American Art Museum from Mrs. Mary Montagu Walke. The artwork is 44 1/8 by 56 1/8 inches and is displayed at the Luce Foundation Center, on the third floor in Case 3B.

A tip o' the hat to Nelson B. Hitchcock of New York City for helping identify the painting's subjects. Nice detective work!

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