Artwork
Portrait of Anna Maria Woolf, née Smart
Portrait of Anna Maria Woolf, née Smart is an unspecified portrait miniature by the Rococo painting artist John I Smart. It dates from 1785 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This portrait miniature is a preparatory sketch by John Smart, depicting a woman in a white dress.
- Accession no.
- 1941.564
- Credit line
- The Edward B. Greene Collection
About this work
This tiny portrait was likely a practice sketch, John Smart kept hundreds of them.
A woman in a white dress and blue sash looks straight at you. Her hair is powdered, her cheeks softly pink.
This tiny portrait was likely a practice sketch, John Smart kept hundreds of them. He painted miniatures, often no bigger than a playing card, for wealthy clients. The fine lines suggest he worked fast, maybe in one sitting.
To see more small-scale portraits like this, look up England, 18th century.
Overview
This portrait miniature is a preparatory sketch by John Smart, depicting a woman in a white dress. It is one of many such sketches retained by the artist.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Anna Maria Woolf, née Smart, is shown with dark hair and eyes, wearing a white dress with a ruffled bodice and a pendant. Her identity was lost over time, and it was later mislabeled as 'Duchess Christina', a common practice for unknown subjects in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Technique & Style
The sketch is characterized by fine lines and a faintly suggested oval border, with an unpainted background. The paper backing, removed in 1993, was inscribed with '38' and 'Indi', possibly indicating a cataloging or identification system.
History & Provenance
The sketch was given by Smart's daughter Sarah to Mary Smirke, and later divided among the Smirke family. It was sold at auction in 1928, after being part of a sketchbook that was likely broken up around 1877.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Smart (1 May 1741 – 1 May 1811) was an English painter who specialised in portrait miniatures. He was a contemporary of Richard Cosway, George Engleheart, William Wood and Richard Crosse.
