Who painted Portrait of an Officer?

Portrait of an Officer was painted by Imitator of John Smart in 1800-01-01.

Where can I see Portrait of an Officer?

Portrait of an Officer is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Portrait of an Officer?

Portrait of an Officer is associated with American Folk Art.

Artwork

Portrait of an Officer

Imitator of John Smart , 1800

Portrait of an Officer is an ivory painting by the American Folk Art artist Imitator of John Smart. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This miniature portrait, created around 1800, depicts an unnamed military officer.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a depiction of a man in service, the piece represents the tradition of commemorating military figures through personal, portable art forms.

Created around 1800 on ivory, this miniature portrays a male military officer of European descent. The work functions as a formal portrait, emphasizing the sitter's rank and identity through his uniform, which serves as the primary iconographic element defining his social and professional status. As a depiction of a man in service, the piece represents the tradition of commemorating military figures through personal, portable art forms.

The focus remains strictly on the individual's likeness and his association with the armed forces, devoid of additional allegorical symbolism beyond the markers of his profession.

Technique & Style

The Portrait of an Officer is executed on an ivory support, a material characteristic of the miniature painting tradition associated with the artist identified as an imitator of John Smart. Created around 1800, the work measures 45 by 32 units and falls within the genre of portraiture. The formal subject is a white male military officer, depicted with the refined handling typical of the period's ivory miniatures.

While specific brushwork details are not enumerated in the available records, the classification as a painting on ivory indicates a delicate application of pigments to the tusk surface. The piece has been recognized in major institutional contexts, including exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which further attests to its status as a formal study in miniature portraiture.

History & Provenance

The Portrait of an Officer is a miniature painting executed on ivory, dated to the year 1800. The work is attributed to an imitator of the renowned miniaturist John Smart rather than the master himself. Commissioned to depict a male military officer, the piece measures 45 by 32 units in height and width.

Its provenance includes ownership by Mrs. Thomas Hunt before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting's creation history and attribution were highlighted during the exhibition "Four Centuries of Miniature Painting, John Smart, Miniaturist, 1741/42–1811," which also featured the Starr Collection of Consecutively Dated Miniatures and special loan exhibitions of European miniatures held at the museum.

The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, as part of the Starr Collection. It is catalogued with accession number 1978.223. The miniature was included in the exhibition Four Centuries of Miniature Painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it also featured in John Smart, Miniaturist, 1741/42–1811: Starr Collection of Consecutively Dated Miniatures and Special Loan Exhibition, European Miniatures in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Overview

This miniature portrait, created around 1800, depicts an unnamed military officer. Attributed to an artist known as the Imitator of John Smart, the work is painted on ivory. The subject is presented from the chest up, with a serious demeanor and a direct gaze. Currently, Portrait of an Officer is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Artist & collection

Artist

Imitator of John Smart

Imitator of John Smart is an attribution used for portrait miniatures executed in the manner of John Smart (1741 to 1811), the English miniaturist renowned for his precise, highly finished likenesses.