Artwork
Elizabeth Bushby
Elizabeth Bushby is an ivory painting by the Aestheticist artist Andrew Plimer. It dates from 1804 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The artwork is classified as a painting and falls within the miniature genre, indicating a small-scale format (approximately 75 mm high by 57 mm wide).
Elizabeth Bushby is a portrait miniature painted by Andrew Plimer in 1804 on an ivory support. The artwork is classified as a painting and falls within the miniature genre, indicating a small-scale format (approximately 75 mm high by 57 mm wide). The ivory ground provides a smooth, luminous surface typical of early‑nineteenth‑century British miniature painting.
While the sources do not detail the specific paint medium or handling, the description as a painting on ivory suggests the use of water‑based pigments applied with fine brushwork to achieve the delicate likeness of the woman depicted. No condition information is provided in the given records.
History & Provenance
The miniature portrait of an unidentified woman, painted by Andrew Plimer in 1804 on ivory (75 × 57 mm), is documented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. Plimer, a British miniaturist active in the late‑Georgian period, created the work as a typical portrait miniature of the era, employing ivory as support and fine brushwork to capture likeness. The piece was recorded in the museum’s catalogue with an inception date of 1 January 1804, indicating its completion in that year.
Its provenance is limited to its acquisition by the Met, where it remains on public display. The work exemplifies Plimer’s skill in rendering delicate facial features on a small ivory panel.
Andrew Plimer's miniature portrait titled Elizabeth Bushby, executed in 1804 on ivory, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is listed as part of the museum's collection, though the specific inventory or accession number is not disclosed in the available documentation. No exhibition records are attached to the entry in the provided sources, indicating that the piece has not been featured in publicly catalogued exhibitions up to the present.
The painting is categorized as a miniature and is described with its dimensions of 75 mm by 57 mm.
Overview
Andrew Plimer's 1804 miniature, Elizabeth Bushby, is an oval portrait rendered on ivory. This delicate work depicts a woman, Elizabeth Bushby, from the shoulders up, her features meticulously detailed. As a representative example of early 19th-century British miniature painting, it showcases the artist's refined technique and is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Elizabeth Bushby, is depicted with dark, curly hair and a simple white dress, presented from the shoulders upward. Her composed expression and direct gaze engage the viewer, while the unadorned background ensures that attention remains solely on her countenance. This intimate scale and focused presentation are characteristic of personal portraits from the era.
Context
Andrew Plimer, a British miniature painter, created this work in 1804. He was the younger sibling of Nathaniel Plimer, also recognized for his miniature portraits. Plimer's artistic path began with training as a clockmaker, a background that may have contributed to the meticulous precision evident in his later work as a portraitist.
Artist & collection
Artist
Andrew Plimer (baptized 29 December 1763 – 29 January 1837) was a British artist, whose brother was Nathaniel Plimer, also a painter of miniatures.
