Artwork
Portrait of an Officer
Portrait of an Officer is an ivory painting by D. B.. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This small, oval portrait, created around 1862 by an artist identified as D.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By rendering the subject in this specific medium, the artist emphasizes the personal and prestigious nature of the officer's identity.
The work depicts a military officer, identified specifically as a man associated with the Legion of Honour. As a portrait miniature painted on ivory, the piece functions as a formal representation of military status and distinction. The inclusion of the Legion of Honour insignia serves as the primary iconographic element, symbolizing the sitter's official rank and recognition within the French honors system.
By rendering the subject in this specific medium, the artist emphasizes the personal and prestigious nature of the officer's identity. The composition focuses entirely on the individual's role as a decorated soldier, using the visual language of the portrait genre to commemorate his service and affiliation with the order.
Technique & Style
The work is classified as a painting executed on ivory, a support traditionally associated with portrait miniatures. Its small dimensions, 72 mm in height and 58 mm in width, are consistent with the intimate scale typical of ivory miniatures designed for personal viewing. The genre is identified as both a miniature and a portrait, and the imagery depicts a man in the guise of a military officer, with the Legion of Honour included among the depicted elements.
The piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having previously been owned by Mary Clark Thompson. The attribution to the artist recorded simply as "D. B." reflects the limited documentation of the maker. The sources do not provide further detail on specific pigments, binding media, surface handling, stylistic characterization, or current condition.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of an Officer is an ivory miniature painted by the artist recorded as "D. B.," classified as a portrait. It depicts a military officer wearing the insignia of the Legion of Honour, likely produced to commemorate his service. The work was owned by Mary Clark Thompson, who bequeathed it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains part of the permanent collection.
It measures 72 × 58 mm, consistent with its format as a small-scale ivory painting. Specific accession numbers are not detailed in the available records, and the piece is cataloged within the museum's holdings under the classification of a portrait miniature depicting a military officer.
Overview
This small, oval portrait, created around 1862 by an artist identified as D. B., depicts an unnamed military officer. Executed on ivory, the miniature captures the sitter in a dark uniform, distinguished by several medals. The artwork is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering a glimpse into 19th-century portraiture and military commemoration.
Artist & collection
Artist
D. B. painted in miniature, on slivers of ivory small enough to fit inside a locket. Officers in crisp coats stare straight out, faces caught mid-blink as if just interrupted. In Portrait of an Officer, the light…
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