Artwork
Elizabeth Humphrey
Elizabeth Humphrey is a watercolor painting by the American Impressionist artist Martha Susan Baker. It dates from 1899 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
If you like how quiet portraits can feel, look up other works in the subject portraits.
A young woman in a dark dress looks straight at you, her face lit softly. The background is plain, so nothing pulls your eye away from her.
This is a watercolor on ivory, tiny, like a locket. Most portraits from 1899 were oil on canvas, big and heavy. Baker chose something delicate, almost secret. The ivory gives the skin a warm glow that paint on paper can’t match.
If you like how quiet portraits can feel, look up other works in the subject portraits.
History & Provenance
Elizabeth Humphrey is a watercolor portrait on ivory painted in 1899 by Martha Susan Baker. The work, classified within The American Wing as a portrait depicting a woman, measures 8.3 × 6 inches and was created in that year, as recorded in contemporary documentation. Its provenance traces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been part of the museum’s permanent collection since its acquisition, and it remains on display at the museum’s location in New York.
No specific commissioning details are documented in the available sources; the painting’s creation history is defined by its date, medium, and attribution to Baker.
The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and is listed under The American Wing in the museum’s catalogue; the entry records its creation in 1899 and its dimensions of 8.3 × 6 inches, but it does not provide an accession or inventory number. The work is categorized as a portrait within the American Wing, portraying a woman, and its genre aligns with early American portraiture. No exhibition history is documented in the sources examined, and the painting’s provenance is limited to its presence in the museum’s collection.
Overview
Martha Susan Baker's Elizabeth Humphrey, painted in 1899, is a watercolor portrait rendered on ivory. This intimate work captures a young woman with a direct gaze, reflecting the delicate aesthetic often associated with American Impressionism. The piece is part of the American Wing collection, showcasing a distinctive approach to portraiture from the turn of the 20th century.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Elizabeth Humphrey, a young woman presented in a dark dress against an unadorned background. Her face is softly illuminated, drawing the viewer's attention directly to her features. She looks straight ahead, creating a quiet, personal connection that emphasizes her presence without distraction. This focused presentation highlights the sitter's individuality within the small format.
Technique & Style
Baker chose the rare and delicate medium of watercolor on ivory for this work, a departure from the large oil on canvas portraits common in 1899. This choice imbues the piece with an intimate, almost locket-like quality. The ivory surface imparts a unique warm luminosity to the skin tones, a subtle glow difficult to achieve on paper. The soft lighting and focused subject align with characteristics of American Impressionism.
Context
Martha Susan Baker, an American artist from Evansville, Indiana, was known for her work as a painter, muralist, and teacher. Elizabeth Humphrey represents a facet of her diverse career, demonstrating her skill in miniature portraiture. While many artists of her era pursued grander canvases, Baker's selection of a small, refined format offers a distinct perspective on portraiture within the late 19th-century American art landscape.
Artist & collection
Artist
Martha Susan Baker (December 25, 1871 – December 21, 1911) was an American painter, muralist and teacher born in Evansville, Indiana, United States.
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