Artwork
Self portrait
Self portrait 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
Around 1830, soon after her family moved from Bordeaux back to the United States, Louisa Catherine Strobel painted herself in watercolor on ivory, a miniature smaller than a playing card. Born in Liverpool to American parents from Charleston, she learned miniature painting while her father served as American consul in France.
Subject & Meaning
The image carries no overt symbolic program beyond the conventions of dress and likeness, functioning instead as a record of Strobel's appearance and status.
The miniature depicts Louisa Catherine Strobel herself, presenting the artist as both maker and subject. She is portrayed as a woman adorned with a hat, lace, ribbon, and bow, elements that frame her face and signal the conventions of genteel feminine portraiture fashionable in the early nineteenth century. The small format and delicate watercolor-on-ivory technique, combined with these decorative accessories, emphasize refinement and personal intimacy rather than narrative drama.
As a self-portrait, the work represents the artist's self-presentation within the tradition of miniature painting, asserting her identity as a woman and as a creative practitioner. The image carries no overt symbolic program beyond the conventions of dress and likeness, functioning instead as a record of Strobel's appearance and status.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature painting technique that allowed for fine, translucent washes on a smooth, luminous support. The composition measures approximately 6.7 by 5.6 centimetres, a scale typical of portrait miniatures intended for intimate viewing and personal keepsakes. The artist renders delicate details of costume, including a hat, lace, ribbon, and bow, with the fine brushwork that the ivory surface and watercolor medium facilitate.
The handling is precise and controlled, suited to the small format and the sitter's refined attire. The piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art within The American Wing.
History & Provenance
The watercolor on ivory self-portrait was created by Louisa Catherine Strobel in 1830. The work entered the collection of Ella Church Strobell, who is recorded as a former owner. It subsequently became part of the holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition circumstances are documented in the available sources.
Overview
Louisa Catherine Strobel painted this self-portrait in 1830, shortly after her family's return to the United States. Executed in watercolor on ivory, the miniature measures just over two and a half inches, a scale characteristic of the genre. Strobel, an amateur artist, primarily depicted family and close acquaintances. This intimate work offers a glimpse into her personal artistic practice, developed during her upbringing abroad.
Context
As an amateur artist, Louisa Catherine Strobel confined her painting practice to her immediate social circle, producing portraits of her parents, brother, and friends. Her work reflects the common practice among women of her era who cultivated artistic talents for personal enjoyment and to commemorate loved ones, rather than for professional gain. This self-portrait thus serves as both a personal record and an example of a widespread domestic art form.
Legacy
Beyond her family portraits, Strobel also completed a posthumous miniature of Rachel Donelson Jackson, the wife of President Andrew Jackson. This particular work was mistakenly attributed to another artist, Anna Peale, for many years until Strobel's signature was eventually identified. This historical detail underscores the challenges of attribution for amateur artists and highlights Strobel's broader, albeit limited, reach within the miniature portrait tradition.
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…
