Artwork
Rebecca Wetherill
Rebecca Wetherill is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist George Hewitt Cushman. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1849 by George Hewitt Cushman, this watercolor on ivory functions as a formal portrait depicting Rebecca Wetherill.
Created in 1849 by George Hewitt Cushman, this watercolor on ivory functions as a formal portrait depicting Rebecca Wetherill. As the named main subject, Wetherill is presented as a woman, adhering to the conventions of 19th-century American portraiture found within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The work's iconography is straightforward, focusing entirely on the likeness and identity of the sitter without additional allegorical elements or complex symbolism described in available records.
Consequently, the piece represents a direct visual documentation of Wetherill's appearance and status during the mid-19th century, serving primarily as a commemorative image of the individual rather than a narrative scene or symbolic study.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1849 by George Hewitt Cushman, this portrait of Rebecca Wetherill is realized as a watercolor painting on an ivory support. The work exemplifies the medium typical of American miniature portraiture of the mid-nineteenth century, utilizing the translucent qualities of watercolor to render the subject's features against the luminous ground of the ivory. As a classified piece within the genre of portraiture, the composition focuses entirely on the depiction of the woman, adhering to the formal conventions of the era which favored delicate handling and intimate scale.
The selection of ivory as a substrate highlights the artist's technical approach to achieving fine detail and a smooth finish characteristic of Cushman's oeuvre during this period.
History & Provenance
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inventoried as 2009.286. It was included in the museum’s 2009 reinstallation of The American Wing, where it remains on view. The painting was not documented in major traveling exhibitions prior to its acquisition, and no subsequent exhibition history is recorded in the cited sources.
Overview
George Hewitt Cushman, a notable American engraver and miniature painter, created this watercolor on ivory portrait, Rebecca Wetherill, around 1849. The small-scale work depicts a young woman, characteristic of the period's American folk art tradition, and was likely intended for personal remembrance. The subject's direct gaze and composed expression are central to the composition.
Context
During the 1800s, miniature portraits served as cherished mementos, often carried by individuals to keep loved ones close. Their small size made them suitable for wearing as jewelry or for discreet display. This practice highlights a cultural emphasis on personal connection and memory, predating widespread photography as a means of preserving likenesses.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Hewitt Cushman (June 5, 1814 – August 3, 1876) was a top American engraver and painter of miniature paintings and portraits of his time (second only to Edward Greene Malbone).
