Catherine Augusta Wilmerding

Catherine Augusta Wilmerding is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued within the American Wing’s portrait collection. The work entered the museum’s holdings as part of the institution’s permanent collection, though the specific accession or inventory number is not disclosed in the available documentation. Its only documented exhibition record consists of its continuous display as part of the museum’s permanent installation; no temporary exhibitions are listed in the cited sources.

"Catherine Augusta Wilmerding" is a watercolor portrait rendered on a small ivory support. The artwork presents a young woman with a direct gaze, her fingers resting gently on a gold locket. Her dark dress contrasts with the delicate white flowers adorning her hair, while a soft gray background ensures the viewer's attention remains focused on her features. This intimate scale and medium distinguish it from larger, more common portrait forms of its period.

During the era in which this work was created, oil on canvas was the predominant medium for portraiture. Watercolor on ivory, however, represented a less common and more costly alternative. Its specialized nature and the delicate materials involved made such miniatures a luxury item, often commissioned for personal display or as mementos, distinct from the larger, more public statements of oil portraits.