Artwork
Thomas Middleton
Thomas Middleton is a watercolor painting by the Rococo painting artist Mary Roberts. It dates from 1755 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The watercolor miniature titled Thomas Middleton, painted by Mary Roberts in 1752, portrays Thomas Middleton of Crowfield as a young boy and child.
The watercolor miniature titled Thomas Middleton, painted by Mary Roberts in 1752, portrays Thomas Middleton of Crowfield as a young boy and child. Executed on ivory, the work exemplifies the portrait miniature genre popular in the mid‑18th century and underscores the sitter's familial identity and social standing. As recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection records, the piece is classified within The American Wing and is noted for its diminutive dimensions (3.8 × 2.5 inches) and its focus on the youthful male subject.
The depiction functions both as a record of lineage and as a statement of status for the Middleton family.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Thomas Middleton of Crowfield was created by Mary Roberts in 1752 as a watercolor on ivory miniature. It depicts the young boy in a bust-length format typical of eighteenth‑century portrait miniatures. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is presently housed in the museum’s American Wing.
No earlier owners or commission details are recorded in the available sources, so the known provenance begins with its acquisition by the Met.
The 1752 watercolor portrait of Thomas Middleton by Mary Roberts is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Classified within the museum's American Wing, the miniature depicts the subject as a child. While the work is confirmed as part of the institution's holdings, the provided records do not specify a unique accession or inventory number, nor do they document any past or current exhibition history for this specific piece.
Overview
Thomas Middleton is a miniature portrait rendered in watercolor on ivory, depicting a young boy. Dressed in a blue coat and holding a book, the subject's soft features and bright eyes convey a lively, engaging presence, as if captured in a moment of paused amusement. This work is part of the American Wing collection.
Technique & Style
This portrait exemplifies the art of miniature painting, a demanding practice requiring meticulous skill. Executed in watercolor on a small ivory support, the medium necessitates a steady hand and fine detail work. Artists like Mary Roberts specialized in these delicate, intimate objects, which were often cherished as personal mementos.
Context
Mary Roberts distinguished herself as one of the earliest American women to work professionally as an artist. During a period when the art profession was predominantly male, she carved out a significant role by specializing in miniature portraits. This particular format, often commissioned as personal mementos, provided an avenue for her artistic practice and recognition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mary Roberts was born in England and immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, the painter Bishop Roberts, before 1735.
