Artwork
Mrs. John Montgomery (Sarah Diemer)
Mrs. John Montgomery (Sarah Diemer) is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Raphaelle Peale. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This miniature portrait, titled Mrs.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1800 by Raphaelle Peale, the piece focuses on the sitter's attire and personal presentation rather than allegorical or narrative symbolism.
The work depicts Sarah Diemer, identified as Mrs. John Montgomery, presented as a formal portrait of a woman. Created in 1800 by Raphaelle Peale, the piece focuses on the sitter's attire and personal presentation rather than allegorical or narrative symbolism. Visual elements include a cap, a fichu, and a ribbon, which serve to characterize the subject's fashion and social standing within the early 19th-century context.
As a portrait on ivory, the primary meaning of the work lies in its function as a commemorative likeness, capturing the specific appearance of the sitter through detailed rendering of her clothing and accessories. The composition emphasizes the individual identity of Mrs. Montgomery through these material details, typical of the genre's focus on realistic representation rather than hidden iconographic codes.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in watercolor on ivory, a support that yields a luminous, translucent surface. Peale’s handling employs fine, controlled brushwork to render the sitter’s delicate features and the intricate textures of her cap, fichu, and ribbon. The modest scale (approximately 8.7 cm high by 7 cm wide) emphasizes an intimate, miniaturist approach, while the careful attention to costume details reflects the artist’s concern for fashionable accuracy and subtle tonal variation. The sources do not comment on the work’s present condition.
History & Provenance
The portrait is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is catalogued as part of the institution’s holdings. Its accession number is 10.192. It was painted in 1800 and has remained in the museum’s collection since its acquisition, as recorded by the museum’s records and corroborated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online collections entry.
Overview
This miniature portrait, titled Mrs. John Montgomery (Sarah Diemer), is rendered in watercolor on ivory. The artwork depicts a woman with a direct gaze, her features composed and her lips firmly set. She wears a white cap adorned with a blue ribbon, set against a simple, unadorned brown background. This small-scale painting exemplifies a particular tradition of portraiture, often created for personal or intimate display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Raphaelle Peale (sometimes spelled Raphael Peale; February 17, 1774 – March 4, 1825) is considered the first professional American painter of still-life.
