Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Moses B. Russell. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Moses B.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture, focusing on the depiction of the woman and this singular prop to convey her identity and character.
Created in 1847 by Moses B. Russell, this watercolor on ivory is a formal portrait centered on a female subject. The composition's primary iconographic element, beyond the sitter herself, is a book included within the frame. In mid-19th-century American portraiture, the presence of a book typically serves as a symbol of literacy, education, and intellectual refinement, suggesting the lady possessed these cultivated virtues.
The work documents an individual woman, using the intimate medium of ivory to capture her likeness while communicating her status through the attribute of the text. The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture, focusing on the depiction of the woman and this singular prop to convey her identity and character.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor on ivory, the work is a small-format portrait measuring approximately 12.8 by 10 centimetres. The choice of ivory as a support is characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century American miniature portraiture, providing a smooth, luminous ground well suited to the translucent layering of watercolor washes. Russell's handling exploits this surface to render the sitter with delicate tonal gradations, while a book held by the woman introduces a still-life element into the composition.
The intimate scale and refined finish reflect the conventions of the genre, in which artists combined precise draftsmanship with the soft blending afforded by watercolor on a polished support.
History & Provenance
Created in 1847, this watercolor on ivory titled Portrait of a Lady was executed by the artist Moses B. Russell. The work, which depicts a woman holding a book, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within the American Wing. The original commissioner and the chain of ownership prior to the museum's acquisition are not detailed in the available records, nor is a specific accession number or exhibition history recorded. The piece serves as an example of American portrait miniatures of the mid-nineteenth century.
Context
Moses B. Russell's 1847 watercolor on ivory, titled Portrait of a Lady, exemplifies mid-nineteenth-century American portrait miniatures depicting a female sitter holding a book. The work, classified as a portrait in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflects contemporary interests in idealized femininity and literary symbolism, with the book serving as an attribute of literacy and refinement. Its delicate handling on ivory is characteristic of the watercolor miniature tradition of the period.
Overview
Moses B. Russell's "Portrait of a Lady," created in 1847, is a watercolor rendered on ivory. This intimate artwork presents a woman seated, holding a book in her lap. The piece is part of The American Wing collection, offering a glimpse into mid-19th-century American portraiture.
Artist & collection
