Artwork
Portrait of a Boy
Portrait of a Boy is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Eliza Goodridge. It dates from 1829 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2006.235.71
- Credit line
- Dale T. Johnson Fund, 2006
About this work
A young boy in a dark jacket looks straight out, cheeks rosy, lips slightly parted. The painting is a miniature, smaller than a playing card, made to be carried like a photo. Watercolor on ivory gives the skin a soft glow. Eliza Goodridge painted it in 1829. See other American miniatures next.
Subject & Meaning
8 cm, it functions as a miniature within the portrait genre and is catalogued in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The work titled Portrait of a Boy, executed by Eliza Goodridge in 1829, portrays a young child holding a single flower. As a watercolor on ivory measuring roughly 5.9 × 4.8 cm, it functions as a miniature within the portrait genre and is catalogued in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The iconography consists of the boy and the flower, elements that appear in contemporary representations of youthful subjects.
Its inclusion in the museum's collection reflects the 19th-century interest in recording childhood as a distinct phase, while the diminutive format underscores the intimate, personal nature of the image.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1829, the miniature employs watercolor on a small ivory support measuring 5.9 cm in height by 4.8 cm in width. The technique combines finely layered, translucent washes with delicate, controlled brushwork to render subtle tonal gradations across the sitter's face and costume. Stylistic features include a restrained palette dominated by muted flesh tones and soft greens, heightened by a single bright flower accent.
The composition balances linear precision with atmospheric modeling, while the ivory's inherent luminosity enhances the portrait's intimate, jewel-like clarity.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a Boy is a watercolor on ivory miniature created by Eliza Goodridge in 1829. Measuring 5.9 by 4.8 cm, the work depicts a young boy accompanied by a flower. Currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the piece is classified under the American Wing.
While the specific commissioning details and the original ownership chain prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's creation is firmly dated to 1829. No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.
Overview
This small watercolor on ivory, created by Eliza Goodridge in 1829, depicts a young boy. Measuring less than a playing card, the miniature was designed for personal carrying, much like a modern photograph. The subject, with rosy cheeks and slightly parted lips, gazes directly forward, inviting a close, intimate viewing experience within its diminutive scale.
Context
Created in 1829, this work represents a specialized art form during an era when large-scale oil paintings dominated the art world. While many artists focused on grand canvases, Eliza Goodridge excelled in the intricate craft of miniature portraiture. These small-format works offered a distinct alternative, catering to a demand for intimate, portable images of individuals.
Artist & collection
Artist
Elizabeth Goodridge (March 12, 1798 – April 18, 1882) was an American painter who specialized in miniatures. She was the younger sister of Sarah Goodridge, also an American miniaturist.
