Artwork
Mrs. James Clinton Griswold
Mrs. James Clinton Griswold is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Charles Loring Elliott. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
That’s a trick called chiaroscuro, where artists use light and shadow to add depth.
Mrs. James Clinton Griswold sits facing us in a dark dress. Her hands rest on a chair’s armrest. The light hits her face, making her pale skin glow. A small bow sits on her dress’s neckline. The background stays simple, no fancy rooms or scenery.
Elliott painted her in 1854. This wasn’t just a fancy portrait. It shows how Americans wanted to look: calm, proper, timeless. The quiet details, like the way her lace collar folds, make it feel real.
See how the light shapes her face? That’s a trick called chiaroscuro, where artists use light and shadow to add depth. Want to try it yourself? Look up chiaroscuro.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1854, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures approximately 91.8 centimeters in height by 74.3 centimeters in width. Classified as a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of a woman, identified as Mrs. James Clinton Griswold.
The piece represents a mid-nineteenth-century American approach to portraiture, employing traditional materials standard for the genre during this period. While specific details regarding the artist's brushwork, surface condition, or particular handling techniques are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the fundamental construction relies on the established convention of oil on canvas.
History & Provenance
Charles Loring Elliott created the oil-on-canvas portrait titled Mrs. James Clinton Griswold in 1854. The work is classified as a portrait of a woman and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art within its American Wing. While specific details regarding the original commission or the immediate ownership chain prior to the museum's acquisition are not detailed in the provided records, the painting's inception is firmly dated to the year 1854.
The physical dimensions of the canvas are recorded as 91.8 cm in height and 74.3 cm in width. The artwork remains a significant example of Elliott's portraiture from the mid-nineteenth century, depicting its subject in oil paint.
Mrs. James Clinton Griswold is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is part of the American Wing collection. The painting, an 1854 oil on canvas portrait by Charles Loring Elliott, is catalogued within the museum's American Wing but no specific accession or inventory number is disclosed in the available records. The work has not been linked to any documented exhibition listings in the provided sources.
Overview
Charles Loring Elliott's Mrs. James Clinton Griswold, painted in 1854, is an oil on canvas portrait. This work exemplifies the realist style prevalent in American portraiture of the mid-19th century. Elliott, an American painter, was recognized for his skill in capturing individual likenesses, having been elected to the National Academy of Design in 1846 after establishing his career in New York City.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents Mrs. James Clinton Griswold seated, directly facing the viewer. She wears a dark dress accented by a small bow and a lace collar, with her hands resting gently on an armrest. This depiction reflects a desire for a calm, proper, and enduring image, characteristic of how many Americans wished to be portrayed during this era. The straightforward presentation emphasizes her presence without elaborate adornment.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Loring Elliott (1812 – 1868) was an American painter known for his portraits.
