Artwork
Mrs. James Lowndes (Catherine Osborn)
Mrs. James Lowndes (Catherine Osborn) is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Edward Greene Malbone. It dates from 1801 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 14.51
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1914
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created by Edward Greene Malbone in 1801, the piece presents the sitter as a woman, functioning within the genre of portraiture to capture her likeness.
The work is a portrait depicting Catherine Osborn Lowndes, the wife of James Lowndes. Created by Edward Greene Malbone in 1801, the piece presents the sitter as a woman, functioning within the genre of portraiture to capture her likeness. As a miniature painted in watercolor on ivory, the artwork serves as a formal representation of the subject, emphasizing her identity as Catherine Osborn Lowndes.
The composition focuses entirely on the individual, establishing her presence as the central figure without additional narrative elements or complex symbolic devices described in the available records. The piece stands as a specific visual record of the sitter during the early nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
Created in 1801, this portrait of Catherine Osborn Lowndes is executed in watercolor on ivory, a medium characteristic of Edward Greene Malbone's miniature painting practice. The work measures 7.9 centimeters in height and 6.4 centimeters in width, dimensions typical for intimate, handheld portraits of the era. The support of ivory provides a luminous, translucent ground that enhances the delicate application of watercolor, allowing for subtle gradations of tone and fine detail in the sitter's features.
As a genre portrait, the handling reflects the refined stylistic qualities associated with early American miniatures, emphasizing elegance and precise rendering. The piece is currently classified within The American Wing collection, preserving its historical and material integrity as a significant example of Malbone's technique on this specific support.
History & Provenance
Edward Greene Malbone’s miniature portrait of Catherine Osborn Lowndes was created in 1801, as indicated by the work’s date and inception recorded in both the Metropolitan Museum’s records and the Malbone corpus. The portrait depicts Catherine Osborn, who married James Lowndes, and belongs to the genre of portraiture executed in watercolor on ivory. The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located.
Edward Greene Malbone's 1801 watercolor on ivory portrait of Catherine Osborn Lowndes is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is classified within the museum's American Wing. While the provided sources confirm the institution and the artwork's creation date of 1801, they do not list a specific accession or inventory number for this piece.
Furthermore, the available documentation does not record any exhibition history for the portrait, leaving its display record unverified within the current dataset.
Overview
Painted in 1801 by Edward Greene Malbone, this watercolor on ivory depicts Mrs. James Lowndes (Catherine Osborn) in a refined neoclassical style characteristic of early American portraiture. The sitter is shown from the bust up, wearing a high-waisted white gown typical of the Federal period, accented by a light blue ribbon and soft curls framing her face. Malbone employs the translucent qualities of ivory to achieve a luminous effect, layering delicate washes of watercolor to render the sitter's pale complexion and subtle blush with remarkable precision.
The composition is intimate and focused, eliminating background distractions to emphasize the subject's gentle expression and elegant attire. Created during the height of Malbone's career, this miniature exemplifies his mastery of the medium, a skill that earned him recognition as one of America's foremost portrait miniaturists before his premature death in 1807. Such works were often commissioned as personal keepsakes or tokens of affection, designed to be carried or worn as jewelry.
The piece stands as a significant example of American art from the turn of the nineteenth century, reflecting both the technical sophistication of the artist and the aesthetic sensibilities of the era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edward Greene Malbone (1777 – May 7, 1807) was an American painter, and the most sought-after miniaturist of his day.
Mrs. John Nightingale (Martha Washington Greene)
Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a Girl
Portrait of a Woman, Possibly Barbara (1768–1829), Marchioness of Donegall
Mrs. Fox
Mrs. John Sevier, Jr. (Rebecca Richards)
Sarah Louisa Jenkins
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Lady Agnes Anne Wrothesley