Portrait of a Boy, 1856, attributed to James B. Read, American, active 1859 - 1870, 48 1/4 x 35 1/4 in. (122.56 x 89.54 cm) (sight)52 x 39 1/4 x 1 1/2 in. (132.08 x 99.7 x 3.81 cm) (outer frame), Oil on canvas, United States, 19th century, Standing on the porch, dressed in his Sunday best and holding his hat, this boy looks as if he¡¦s about to leave home. He already has. During the 1800s, to ease the grief caused by a family member¡¦s death, it was customary to observe mourning rituals. These included marking anniversaries of the death by formally viewing a portrait of the deceased. From the traditional mourning colors of red, white, and black, the keepsake book, and the threatening sky, we know this painting served that purpose. The fast-fading roses symbolize the briefness of life, and the clinging honeysuckle vine represents the attachment of the living to the dead.