Artwork
Mrs. Thomas Larcombe (Anna Smith)
Mrs. Thomas Larcombe (Anna Smith) is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Anna Claypoole Peale. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This small, oval portrait depicts Mrs.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The iconography focuses on the depiction of elaborate lace and ruffles, which serve as primary visual elements framing the woman.
Executed in 1818, this watercolor on ivory functions as a formal portrait of Anna Smith Larcombe, the wife of Thomas Larcombe. As a miniature, the work emphasizes intimate scale and fine detail, specifically highlighting the subject's attire. The iconography focuses on the depiction of elaborate lace and ruffles, which serve as primary visual elements framing the woman.
These textile details likely signify the sitter's social standing and adherence to early nineteenth-century fashion norms. The piece represents a specific individual rather than an allegorical figure, grounding its meaning in the documentation of personal identity and status through the realistic rendering of the subject's appearance and clothing.
Technique & Style
The portrait Mrs. Thomas Larcombe (Anna Smith) is executed in watercolor on a thin ivory support, a format typical of early-American portrait miniatures. The work relies on fine, precise brushstrokes to render the sitter's lace collar and ruffled cuffs with delicate tonal modulation, while the miniature scale accentuates intricate detail. The composition is tightly framed on the bust and shoulders, with the sitter's attire depicted with careful attention to textile pattern. The piece is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing collection.
History & Provenance
Mrs. Thomas Larcombe (Anna Smith) was created in 1818 by Anna Claypoole Peale as a watercolor on ivory miniature portrait of Anna Smith Larcombe. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within the American Wing. The available records do not provide a specific accession number, commission details, earlier ownership, or exhibition history for the work.
Overview
This small, oval portrait depicts Mrs. Thomas Larcombe, identified as Anna Smith, rendered in watercolor on ivory. The subject is shown in a dark dress with a white lace collar and ruffled sleeves, her hair neatly pulled back. She engages the viewer with a composed and steady gaze, characteristic of intimate portraiture from the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anna Claypoole Peale (March 6, 1791 – December 25, 1878) was an American painter who specialized in portrait miniatures on ivory and still lifes.
