Artwork
Mrs. Richard Wilmot Hall (Eliza Taylor)
Mrs. Richard Wilmot Hall (Eliza Taylor) is a watercolor painting by the Romanticist artist Gennarino Persico. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a watercolor on ivory, the medium typically served to capture the likeness and social standing of the subject during the early nineteenth century.
The work depicts Eliza Taylor, identified in the title as Mrs. Richard Wilmot Hall, presented as a portrait of a woman. Created by Gennarino Persico in 1832, the piece functions as a formal representation of its sitter within the genre of portraiture. As a watercolor on ivory, the medium typically served to capture the likeness and social standing of the subject during the early nineteenth century.
The image focuses entirely on the individual, offering a visual record of her appearance without additional narrative scenery or complex symbolic elements described in the available records.
Technique & Style
Mrs. Richard Wilmot Hall (Eliza Taylor) is a small-scale portrait executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature-format support typical of intimate likenesses produced in the early nineteenth century. The work measures roughly 6.8 by 5.3 centimeters, a compact dimension consistent with the ivory support and the watercolor technique used to render the sitter. As a portrait miniature, the handling relies on translucent watercolor washes applied over the smooth ivory ground, a method that allowed fine detail and luminous flesh tones within a very small surface.
The piece is classified within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, indicating its placement within the institution's holdings of American portraiture.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Mrs. Richard Wilmot Hall (Eliza Taylor) was executed in 1832 by the Italian-born painter Gennarino Persico using watercolor on ivory. A likeness of the wife of Richard Wilmot Hall, it measures 6.8 by 5.3 cm and is classified within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, where it is held. The available sources confirm the artwork's location, date and dimensions but do not contain a specific inventory or accession number, nor any documented exhibition history for the piece.
Overview
This miniature watercolor, created by Gennarino Persico in 1832, portrays Eliza Taylor, also known as Mrs. Richard Wilmot Hall. The small-scale work captures a direct likeness of the sitter, reflecting a common practice of personal portraiture during the period. It is part of the American Wing collection, indicating its significance within American art history.
Artist & collection
