Artwork
Catherine A. May
Catherine A. May is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Ammi Phillips. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Catherine A. May is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for early nineteenth-century American portraiture. The painting measures 79 by 63.4 centimetres in a vertical orientation suited to a half- or three-quarter-length seated sitter. Classified as a portrait, the work depicts a woman and is dated 1830.
History & Provenance
In 1950, Force sold the painting to the prominent collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch.
Created in 1830 by Ammi Phillips, this oil-on-canvas portrait originated in upper New York State. The work entered the documented ownership chain through Albert W. Force, whose specific city of residence remains unrecorded. In 1950, Force sold the painting to the prominent collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch.
The Garbisches subsequently donated the artwork to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1978, where it remains part of the permanent collection. The piece measures approximately 79 by 63.4 centimetres and depicts an unidentified woman.
Overview
Painted in 1830 by Ammi Phillips, a prominent figure in American folk art, this oil on canvas portrait depicts Catherine A. May. The composition adheres to the conventions of early 19th-century limner portraiture, featuring the sitter in a three-quarter view against a dark, undifferentiated background that isolates her figure. May is seated, wearing a high-waisted dress typical of the Regency era, with her hands resting calmly in her lap.
Phillips renders her face with a characteristic stillness and direct gaze, emphasizing a serene demeanor. The artist demonstrates his mastery of the genre through the meticulous attention to the folds of her gown and the delicate modeling of her features, balancing stylized simplicity with a sense of individual presence. This work exemplifies Phillips' mature style during his Connecticut period, where he produced numerous likenesses of local citizens.
The painting serves as a historical document of middle-class dress and social posture in the 1830s, reflecting the artist's ability to convey dignity and quiet personality within the constraints of the folk tradition.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the sitter, Catherine A. May, who is depicted in period attire while seated indoors. Her calm expression draws attention to her face, which is rendered with a quiet dignity. The meticulous rendering of details, such as the drapery of her dress, suggests an effort by the artist to convey aspects of her individual character.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ammi Phillips (April 24, 1788 – July 11, 1865) was a prolific American itinerant portrait painter active from the mid 1810s to the early 1860s in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.
