Miner Kilbourne Kellogg, born Manlius - Anastasia (costume, Smyrna) - n.d. - T-Shirt

A head-and-shoulders chalk portrait of a young woman, her hair drawn back beneath a pale band with lace at the nape, rendered in soft reddish chalk and graphite on ochre paper.

Visual Elements & Composition

The face takes up most of the sheet. Soft reddish chalk and graphite model the eyes, mouth and the gentle shadow along the jaw, while her head tilts slightly toward the viewer. The garment is left largely open, with only a few contour lines marking the neckline, sleeves and a fold at the waist. The figure dissolves into the parchment-toned paper at the lower edge, so the head and headdress hold the eye. A handwritten caption in the lower right reads “Costume, Smyrna” and names the sitter as Anastasia.

Meaning & Symbolism

The drawing records a particular costume as it was seen from life. Smyrna was the Aegean port city that stood at the centre of nineteenth-century trade and of mixed communities, and studies of local dress like this one were prized by travellers as records of regional fashion and personal appearance. Miner Kilbourne Kellogg, born in Manlius, New York, worked in watercolour, oil and pencil, and his travel sketches from Europe and farther east are a notable part of his output. The emphasis on the face and headdress makes the piece about one individual’s presence as much as the dress itself.

Wearing the Study

Printed across the chest, the portrait sits at the centre of the shirt, where the face can be read clearly at conversation distance. The soft chalk tones suit a plain crew-neck tee, letting the drawing carry the look while the shirt stays simple. Each wear puts Anastasia’s quiet, direct gaze in front of you, along with the caption that anchors her to Smyrna.