Where can I see Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana)?

Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana) is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana)?

Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana) is associated with British Romanticism.

Artwork

Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana)

Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana) is a watercolor painting by the British Romanticist artist George Lethbridge Saunders. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

The ivory ground provides a smooth, luminous surface that enhances the subtlety of the flesh tones and the careful rendering of the sitter’s features.

The work is executed in watercolor on an ivory support, a medium that allowed Saunders to achieve fine, translucent washes and delicate linear detail typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century portrait miniatures. The ivory ground provides a smooth, luminous surface that enhances the subtlety of the flesh tones and the careful rendering of the sitter’s features. Handling is precise yet fluid, reflecting the artist’s training in both miniature painting and watercolor technique.

Formal qualities include an intimate scale (approximately 9.3 cm high by 7.4 cm wide), a focused bust‑length composition, and a restrained palette that emphasizes the sitter’s genteel demeanor. The portrait exemplifies the genteel, refined style associated with American portraiture of the 1840s.

History & Provenance

The miniature portrait Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana) was painted by George Lethbridge Saunders in 1843. The work is recorded as a watercolor on ivory and depicts Sarah Dana Thorndike. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located.

The painting’s inception date is documented as 1843, aligning with the early years of Saunders’ known portrait practice.

The watercolor portrait Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana), created by George Lethbridge Saunders in 1843, is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is specifically housed within the museum's American Wing. While the provided documentation confirms the institution and wing, it does not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece.

The available records do not contain information regarding any past or scheduled exhibitions featuring this portrait. The artwork measures 9.3 cm in height and 7.4 cm in width, depicting Sarah Dana Thorndike.

Overview

George Lethbridge Saunders painted this watercolor portrait, titled Mrs. Israel Thorndike (Sarah Dana), in 1843. Executed on ivory, the miniature depicts Sarah Dana, the subject of the work. This small-scale painting is part of The American Wing collection, representing a common form of personal portraiture during its era.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait features Sarah Dana, Mrs. Israel Thorndike, seated in a red chair. Her hands are neatly folded in her lap, and she wears a dark dress with a finely detailed lace collar. Such miniatures served as intimate, portable mementos, often carried by individuals to keep an image of a loved one close.

Mrs. Pearson [possibly Sarah Thompson Pearson], Pieter Christoffel Wonder

Artist & collection

Artist

George Lethbridge Saunders

George Lethbridge Saunders (1807–1863) was an artist, born in Bristol.

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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