Artwork
Martha Washington
Martha Washington is a watercolor painting by the Rococo painting artist James Peale. It dates from 1782 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2006.235.327
- Credit line
- Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2006
About this work
The portrait, measuring just one and a half by one inch, was created as a companion to his matching miniature of George Washington.
Engraved on its replacement frame beneath a spread eagle, the banner reads "LADY WASHINGTON." James Peale signed and dated this watercolor-on-ivory miniature 1782, the same year he launched his independent Philadelphia practice after serving in the Continental Army. The portrait, measuring just one and a half by one inch, was created as a companion to his matching miniature of George Washington.
Both works entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2006 through the Lila Acheson Wallace Gift and hang in Gallery 754.
Technique & Style
James Peale executed this portrait miniature in 1782 using watercolor on ivory, a support that allows for translucent washes and meticulous detail. The small format (3.8 × 2.5 cm) is typical of miniature painting and demands fine brushwork. Peale renders Martha Washington's cap, fichu, lace, and ribbon with precise, delicate strokes.
The formal qualities are characteristic of late-18th-century American portrait miniatures: a bust-length, frontal presentation against a neutral ground, with attention to costume and jewelry that conveys the sitter's status. The ivory support gives the flesh tones a luminous quality, while the watercolor medium requires careful handling to avoid pooling, especially in the finely detailed lace and facial features.
History & Provenance
James Peale painted this miniature portrait of Martha Washington in 1782. The work is executed in watercolor on ivory. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. No further commission or ownership details are provided by available sources.
Overview
This miniature portrait depicts Martha Washington, rendered by James Peale in 1782. Executed in watercolor on ivory, the small-scale work measures approximately one and a half by one inch. It was created as a companion piece to a matching portrait of George Washington.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired both miniatures in 2006 through the Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, and they are displayed in The American Wing.
Context
Painted in 1782, this miniature marks a significant year for James Peale, who launched his independent Philadelphia studio after serving in the Revolutionary War. While his elder brother, Charles Willson Peale, focused on larger oil paintings, James cultivated a specialty in portrait miniatures. His background, including early training as a cabinetmaker, likely contributed to the meticulous craftsmanship evident in these small-scale works.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Peale (1749 – May 24, 1831) was an American painter, best known for his miniature and still life paintings, and a younger brother of noted painter Charles Willson Peale.
Sarah Ann Beck
Portrait of a Noblewoman
Mrs. Nathaniel Bowen (Margaret Blake)
Memorial Brooch
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of Lady Grace Anna Newenham
Snuffbox with portrait of a woman
Portrait of Anne Vallayer-Coster
Marie Antoinette, soția regelui Louis XVI al Franței și Navarrei (în registrul inventar: Portret de femeie)
Portrait of a Woman in a White Dress
Unknown woman