Artwork
Powell MacRae
Powell MacRae is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Henry Colton Shumway. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The watercolor portrait by Henry Colton Shumway, dated 1845, portrays an unidentified male sitter, presenting him in a conventional, dignified manner typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century American portraiture. The composition emphasizes a straightforward likeness without overt allegorical elements, suggesting the work functions primarily as a record of the subject’s appearance and social standing. As a piece in The American Wing’s collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the painting serves to document the aesthetic preferences of the era and to preserve the visual identity of the sitter within the museum’s historical narrative.
Technique & Style
9 centimeters, a scale consistent with portrait miniatures intended for intimate viewing.
Powell MacRae is executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature portrait technique that combines translucent washes with the smooth, luminous ground of an ivory support. The work is classified as a portrait and measures 11.3 by 8.9 centimeters, a scale consistent with portrait miniatures intended for intimate viewing. The ivory support provides a reflective, polished surface that lends depth and warmth to the watercolor pigments, while the small format demands precise, controlled handling of the medium.
As a genre portrait depicting a man, the piece reflects the mid-nineteenth-century American miniature tradition, in which artists exploited the fine-grained ivory to achieve delicate modeling and subtle tonal gradations.
History & Provenance
Powell MacRae was created in 1845 by the American artist Henry Colton Shumway, rendered as a watercolor on ivory portrait measuring roughly 11.3 cm high and 8.9 cm wide. The work is classified within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a portrait genre piece and is presently held in the museum’s collection; the cited sources provide no information about earlier owners, exhibition history, or any commission associated with its production.
Overview
Henry Colton Shumway, an American artist who received his training at the Academy of Design in New York City, created this watercolor on ivory portrait of Powell MacRae around 1845. The work exemplifies the era's tradition of miniature painting, presenting a formal depiction of an individual. Shumway was recognized for his contributions to American folk art and also captured the likenesses of prominent figures during his career.
Context
Henry Colton Shumway was a notable practitioner within the American folk art movement, known for his ability to capture both everyday individuals and prominent public figures like Daniel Webster. The creation of Powell MacRae predates a significant shift in Shumway's career. As photographic processes became more accessible and popular, he adapted by transitioning to hand-coloring daguerreotypes by the 1860s, reflecting the changing landscape of portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henry Colton Shumway (4 July 1807 – 6 May 1884) was an American soldier and artist.
