Artwork
Benjamin Kintzing
Benjamin Kintzing is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Benjamin Trott. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
No specific inventory or accession number, nor any exhibition history, is documented in the available sources.
Benjamin Kintzing is a portrait created in 1815 by the American artist Benjamin Trott. Executed in watercolor on ivory, the work measures 7.4 cm in height and 5.9 cm in width. The piece was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held within the American Wing.
While the specific commission details or original owner are not documented in the available records, the work is firmly dated to 1815 and depicts a man, remaining a noted example of Trott's miniature portraiture from the early nineteenth century. No specific inventory or accession number, nor any exhibition history, is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Around 1815, American painter Benjamin Trott created this watercolor on ivory portrait, depicting Benjamin Kintzing. This miniature exemplifies the popular genre of small-scale portraits from the early 19th century, often associated with American folk art. The work captures a man in a traditional, formal pose, characteristic of the era's personal keepsakes.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor on a small ivory support, this portrait is no larger than a playing card. Trott employed delicate brushstrokes and translucent washes to build the subject's features, creating a soft, luminous quality in the skin tones. This technique allowed for a subtle interplay of light on the miniature surface, a common characteristic of such intimate works.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Benjamin Kintzing, is presented in a formal, direct gaze, wearing a dark coat, a typical presentation for early 19th-century portraiture. These small-scale likenesses served a practical purpose before photography, often worn as personal adornments or carried as mementos, much like a locket, allowing individuals to keep the image of a loved one close.
Artist & collection
Artist
Benjamin Trott (c. 1770, in Boston – 27 November 1843, in Baltimore) was an American painter who specialized in portrait miniatures.
