Artwork
Jacob Gerard Koch

Jacob Gerard Koch is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Louisa Catherine Strobel. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays Jacob Gerard Koch, a man identified in the work's title and description, rendered as a portrait by Louisa Catherine Strobel in 1830.
The painting portrays Jacob Gerard Koch, a man identified in the work's title and description, rendered as a portrait by Louisa Catherine Strobel in 1830. Executed in watercolor on ivory, the piece measures 7 × 5.1 cm and belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing collection. As a portrait, it serves to record the sitter's likeness and social standing, a common purpose of 19th-century portraiture.
The work's iconography consists solely of the realistic depiction of Koch, without additional symbolic attributes, emphasizing his individual identity within the historical record.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Jacob Gerard Koch is rendered in watercolor on ivory, a delicate support favored for miniature painting in the early nineteenth century. The technique emphasizes fine, controlled brushwork and subtle tonal gradations to capture facial features and expression. The composition adheres to the conventions of portraiture, focusing on the sitter's likeness with restrained stylistic flourishes.
The small scale, measuring approximately 7 cm in height and 5.1 cm in width, reflects the intimate format typical of miniatures designed for private viewing.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Jacob Gerard Koch was created in 1830 by the artist Louisa Catherine Strobel. Executed as a watercolor on ivory, the work measures 7 cm in height and 5.1 cm in width. While the specific commission details and the ownership chain prior to its current location are not documented, the piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing.
No accession number, acquisition date, or exhibition history is recorded in the available sources. The work captures the likeness of Jacob Gerard Koch in the early nineteenth century through Strobel's miniature portrait technique.
Legacy
The 1830 watercolor portrait of Jacob Gerard Koch by Louisa Catherine Strobel is housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where its inclusion in a major institutional collection has reinforced the visibility of early American subjects. As a representative example of Strobel's portraiture, the work documents the appearance of a 19th-century figure and contributes to scholarly understandings of early American identity. Its status as part of the museum's permanent holdings ensures continued study and public interest.
Overview
Louisa Catherine Strobel's Jacob Gerard Koch is a watercolor on ivory miniature from approximately 1830. This small portrait, intended for personal carrying, captures the subject with delicate brushwork. It exemplifies the intimate scale and detailed execution characteristic of miniature painting, a popular art form during the early 19th century. The work is part of the American Wing collection.
Context
Louisa Catherine Strobel created this work during a period when the art world was largely dominated by male artists. Furthermore, miniature portraits, especially those intended for personal carrying, more frequently depicted women. Strobel's portrayal of a male subject, combined with her professional practice as a female artist, offers a notable example within the conventions of early 19th-century portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Louisa C. Martin, née Strobel (1806–1883) was an American painter of portrait miniatures. She was the daughter of a US diplomat and was born in Liverpool while her father Daniel Strobel was assigned there. On the…














