Artwork
John Pickering
John Pickering is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Alvan Clark. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is classified within the genre of portraiture and currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing.
Created in 1840 by Alvan Clark, the portrait of John Pickering is executed as a watercolor on ivory. This combination of medium and support was a characteristic technique for miniature portraiture during the period, allowing for delicate rendering of facial features and skin tones. The work is classified within the genre of portraiture and currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing.
As a watercolor on a small, rigid ivory surface, the handling required precise brushwork to achieve the lifelike depiction of the sitter, a man, who serves as the main subject of the piece.
History & Provenance
The work titled "John Pickering" is a watercolor on ivory portrait painted by Alvan Clark in 1840. It was created as a likeness of the subject John Pickering and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is housed in The American Wing. The painting's date of execution is recorded as 1840, and its medium and classification are documented in the museum's catalogue. It is catalogued as a portrait within the institution's American art holdings.
Overview
This watercolor portrait, titled John Pickering, was created by Alvan Clark around 1840. The miniature depicts its namesake, John Pickering, rendered with delicate brushwork on an ivory support. Housed within The American Wing, this work exemplifies the intimate scale and personal nature of portraiture during the mid-19th century in the United States.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents John Pickering directly, his gaze meeting the viewer's. He is depicted wearing a dark coat, with his face softly illuminated against a simple, unadorned background. This straightforward presentation emphasizes the sitter's features, typical of the era's focus on individual identity in personal mementos. The intimate scale further enhances the connection between the subject and the owner.
Artist & collection
Artist
Clark made small, precise portraits on ivory and canvas in the 1830s–1850s, when Americans commissioned miniatures as keepsakes.
