Mrs. Phineas Miller (Catherine Littlefield)

The portrait of Mrs. Phineas Miller, also known as Catherine Littlefield, was created in 1806 by the artist Joseph-Pierre Picot de Limoelan de Cloriviere. Executed as a watercolor on ivory, this miniature work measures 6.4 cm in height and 5.2 cm in width. It is currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing. The piece serves as a formal portrait depicting the subject as a woman.

The 1806 watercolor on ivory portrait of Catherine Littlefield, wife of merchant Phineas Miller, exemplifies early American elite portraiture within the neoclassical tradition. Executed by Joseph‑Pierre Picot de Limoelan de Cloriviere, the work was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is displayed in The American Wing, where it is studied as a representative example of transatlantic artistic exchange in the early Republic. Its formal composition and delicate rendering reflect contemporary European portrait conventions adapted to an American subject, making it a frequent reference point in scholarship on the development of American portraiture.

Joseph-Pierre Picot de Limoelan de Cloriviere created this watercolor portrait of Catherine Littlefield, also known as Mrs. Phineas Miller, in 1806. Rendered with delicate brushwork on ivory, the miniature work captures its subject with an intimate sensibility. This piece exemplifies the refined portraiture prevalent in the early 19th century, offering a glimpse into the personal lives of its subjects through a highly detailed and personal format.