Tennessee oil on canvas portrait of a young girl, attributed to William Stamms Shackelford (Kentucky/Tennessee, c. 1814- c.1878). Portrait depicts a young girl wearing a white lace dress with blue accents, blue ribbon sash, and a coral bead necklace, standing with one hand resting on a white marble table beside a vase of white flowers, all atop green carpet with red accented blocks. Circa 1850. Housed in an ornate period gilt carved frame with oval opening. Sight – 26" H x 20 3/4" W. Framed – 33 1/4" H x 28 1/4" W. Provenance: Murfreesboro, Tennessee estate history. Biography: Little is known about Shackelford's early life. He is believed to have been born in 1814 in Kentucky and reputedly took art lessons from Matthew Jouett, although Jouett died in 1827. In 1833, Shackleford assited Oliver Frazer in painting the full length portrait of George Washington in the old Statehouse at Franklin, KY. He worked as a portrait painter in several Kentucky towns including Bowling Green and Paris. In the 1850s he moved to Clarksville, Tennessee and also worked in Franklin, TN. Shackelford also dabbled in inventing, and claimed to have invented the Revolver before Samuel Colt. He suffered a nervous breakdown and died in Missouri, where he had family, sometime after 1878. (Source: Portrait Painting in Tennessee, Tennessee Historical Quarterly vo. XLVI no. 4). Alternate spelling: Shackleford. CONDITION: Craquelure to right side of canvas with some very slight losses, abrasion/area of repair left margin. Scattered losses and inpainting to gilt frame along with cracks, primarily to corners. Blacklight shows several spots of overpainting to dress and face. Please refer to blacklight photo.