Artwork
Mr. Hagner
Mr. Hagner is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Daniel Dickinson. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr.
- Accession no.
- 2006.235.43
- Credit line
- Dale T. Johnson Fund, 2006
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Dickinson’s painting is classified as a portrait in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
The watercolor portrait known as Mr. Hagner, executed by Daniel Dickinson in 1825, portrays an unidentified male sitter. The work is rendered on ivory and set within a gilded copper locket, with a hair reserve on the reverse, characteristics typical of early‑American miniature portraiture. Dickinson’s painting is classified as a portrait in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
The title Mr. Hagner functions as a conventional designation for the depicted individual rather than an indication of a specific historical figure, and the composition reflects the formal conventions of male portraiture in the 1820s.
Technique & Style
Daniel Dickinson's 1825 portrait, Mr. Hagner, is executed in watercolor on ivory, a medium characteristic of early American miniature portraiture. The work is housed within a gilded copper locket, which serves as both its protective casing and display format. The reverse side of the piece features a hair reserve, a common sentimental addition in portraiture of this era.
Measuring 5.9 centimeters in height and 4.9 centimeters in width, the small scale necessitates precise handling and fine brushwork typical of the genre. The classification within the American Wing highlights its significance as a representative example of the period's stylistic approach to intimate, detailed facial rendering on a delicate support.
History & Provenance
The watercolor portrait Mr. Hagner, executed by Daniel Dickinson in 1825, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Classified within the museum's American Wing, the work is a miniature painted on ivory and set in a gilded copper locket featuring a hair reserve on the verso. While the piece is documented as part of the institution's holdings, the available records do not specify a unique accession or inventory number for this object.
Furthermore, no specific exhibition history or loan records are provided in the current documentation regarding this portrait's display timeline.
Overview
Mr. Hagner is a miniature portrait executed in 1825 by the American artist Daniel Dickinson. Painted in watercolor on ivory, the work depicts a man in a dark coat, rendered with the fine detail characteristic of early 19th-century portraiture. The piece is housed within a gilded copper locket, indicating its function as a wearable keepsake rather than a display painting.
This format was typical for intimate family portraits of the era, designed to be carried or worn close to the body. The verso of the locket features a hair reserve, a compartment intended to hold a lock of the sitter's hair, a common sentimental practice before the advent of photography. Dickinson, active during the early Republic period, specialized in such miniatures, which served as personal mementos for the sitter's loved ones.
The work exemplifies the transition in portraiture from formal, large-scale commissions to more private, portable objects that captured individual likeness with emotional immediacy. Its survival in the original locket preserves both the artistic image and the material context of its original use.
Context
Created in the early 19th century, Mr. Hagner illustrates the cultural significance of miniature portraits during a period preceding photographic technology. These small, portable artworks served as vital personal connections, enabling individuals to carry images of loved ones. The inclusion of a hair reserve further underscores the sentimental value and intimate bond represented by such objects in American society.
Artist & collection
