Who painted Memorial Brooch?

Memorial Brooch was painted by Anstiss Stone in ca. 1795.

Where can I see Memorial Brooch?

Memorial Brooch is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Memorial Brooch?

Memorial Brooch is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Memorial Brooch

Anstiss Stone , 1795

Memorial Brooch is a watercolor painting by the Romanticist artist Anstiss Stone. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The Memorial Brooch, created by Anstiss Stone in 1795, depicts a girl holding a leash beside a willow, urn, and tombstone, with a bird nearby.

The Memorial Brooch, created by Anstiss Stone in 1795, depicts a girl holding a leash beside a willow, urn, and tombstone, with a bird nearby. These elements function as conventional mourning symbols: the willow and urn evoke transience, the tombstone signifies death, and the bird may allude to the soul’s flight. Together they transform the piece into a commemorative object that memorializes a deceased individual, likely a child, reflecting late‑18th‑century attitudes toward loss and remembrance. The work’s iconography aligns with contemporary memorial jewelry, using visual cues to convey grief and enduring memory.

Technique & Style

Created in 1795, this memorial brooch utilizes watercolor and hair pigment applied to an ivory support. The artwork is set within a gold brightwork locket that has been converted into a brooch. Measuring 4.1 cm in height and 2.7 cm in width, the composition exhibits the formal and stylistic qualities typical of memorial portraiture.

It features a girl holding a bird on a leash, positioned alongside classic mourning motifs such as a tombstone, an urn, and a willow tree. The delicate application of watercolor on the smooth ivory surface allows for fine detailing of these symbolic elements within the miniature format.

History & Provenance

The Memorial Brooch is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued as accession 1975.1.242. The work entered the museum’s collection in 1975 through an acquisition that integrated it into The American Wing. No exhibition history prior to its accession is documented in the cited sources.

Overview

This small, oval painting, titled Memorial Brooch, is encased within a gold locket that has been adapted into a brooch. Created using watercolor and hair pigment on ivory, it serves as a poignant example of personal remembrance from its era. Housed in The American Wing, the piece combines fine craftsmanship with a deeply personal sentiment, reflecting a common practice of commemorating loved ones through wearable art.

Context

During the period of this brooch's creation, the practice of incorporating human hair into jewelry was a widespread custom for commemorating the deceased. These objects functioned not merely as decorative items but as deeply personal mementos, offering a tangible connection to those who had passed. The Memorial Brooch exemplifies this tradition, providing a quiet, intimate form of remembrance that was worn close to the body.