A photo of a young girl reaching out to the likeness of liberator Harriet Tubman has set the net on fire for its inspirational imagery.

The three-year-old girl seen in the photo is Lovie Hope Duncan, a resident of Dorchester County in Maryland. According to The Baltimore Sun, the mural was completed by artist Michael Rosato on Monday. The vivid-technicolor painting is on the wall of the Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center in Cambridge.

After the image was first posted on Instagram late last week, the picture quickly circulated online thanks to journalist Yashar Ali.

Amazing photo

A little girl touches Harriet Tubman’s hand

This is a new mural on the side of the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center.

Original Photo: https://t.co/ZGJQG766zS
pic.twitter.com/Lryj5AVGWl

— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) May 18, 2019

Lovie's grandmother, Tracy Kilgore Lynndee, said the photo was a candid shot. Kilgore Lynndee and Lovie were on a walk last week when the 3-year-old saw the captivating image.

"Lovie is only 3. She loves to walk around town with us on pretty days to look and explore," Kilgore Lynndee told NBC Washington. "When she saw the mural it startled her for a moment because she wasn't expecting it. Then she quickly asked if she could give her a high-five. She reached out and placed her hand on the hand. The response has been tremendous."

Most people are familiar with Tubman. She was the famed abolitionist who led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom on approximately 13 trips on the Underground Railroad. Artist Michael Rosato worked on the piece for 12 days and hoped others would have a reaction similar to Lovie's.

"That's exactly what I wanted to happen when I conceptualized the design. I was blown away," Rosato told NBC Washington."People were coming up to look at it. People were really reacting to it. I knew that it was striking a cord."

The artist wanted to create a sense of hope and invoke a welcoming feeling. He chose to portray a younger version of Tubman to also show vigor, power and energy.

"This painting I wanted to be a young Harriet Tubman, young and full of energy and wanting to change the world. I want them to look at it and not be afraid," Rosato said. "All I've ever wanted to do is paint and to have people react to your painting is fabulous."

On an unannounced date in June, the museum is hoping to have a ceremony celebrating the mural. The mural and viral photo come at the same time Congress is deciding whether or not to place the abolitionist on the $20 bill.

Michael Rosato

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