Painting Pretty Dresses

This was some homework I did for one of my oil painting classes. The assignment was to copy an "old master" portrait. I chose a pretty portrait by the unbeatable John Singer Sargent. Above is my painting, below is the original:

I did some research on the girl in the painting. Her name is Catherine, and she was one of seven children. This portrait was painted when she was 22 years old; sadly, she died two years later. I guess she must have liked singing or music, since Sargent chose to portray her with one hand on the piano.

My husband says she looks like a man. :P

I got a B+ on this assignment. The painting now sits happily on my dresser, along with two porcelain birds from mudpuppy, pinecones we picked up on our honeymoon, and art by Lois Van Baarle.