[Figures in a garden]

This miniature watercolor of two seated women and a child in a garden bears no signature or date but has been attributed to Birch on the basis of style. Close comparison between the figures and trees in the watercolor and Birch's engravings ca. 1800 reveals identical techniques. The watercolor is very much in the English romantic tradition of Gainsborough in its refinement, lush foliage, and earthy tonalities. Birch arrived in Philadelphia in 1874 and could have painted this private scene in either Philadelphia or his native London, as the clothing and architecture reflect the turn of the century in both cities.