Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Samuel Lovett Waldo. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Its surface bears the fine, smooth brushwork typical of mid-19th-century American portraiture, with careful attention to facial features and fabric detail.
The work titled Portrait of a Lady, painted by Samuel Lovett Waldo in 1850, is an oil painting on a wooden panel measuring approximately 33.8 × 26.7 cm. Its surface bears the fine, smooth brushwork typical of mid-19th-century American portraiture, with careful attention to facial features and fabric detail. Executed in oil paint, the piece exemplifies the realistic rendering and modest scale found in Waldo's contemporary portrait commissions. The painting is catalogued in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing collection.
Context
Portrait of a Lady (1850) is an oil on wood portrait attributed to American painter Samuel Lovett Waldo, currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art within the American Wing. The work exemplifies mid-nineteenth-century American portraiture, aligning with Waldo's reputation for realistic, character-driven likenesses. Its classification as a portrait and depiction of a solitary female sitter reflect contemporary interests in genteel representation.
The painting's provenance within the museum's collection underscores its significance as a representative example of Waldo's output and of the period's formal conventions.
Overview
Samuel Lovett Waldo's Portrait of a Lady, painted around 1850, is an oil on wood depiction of an unidentified woman. This work exemplifies American portraiture from the mid-19th century, capturing a subject with directness and attention to detail. The painting is part of The American Wing, highlighting its significance within the context of American art history.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents a woman seated in a chair, engaging the viewer with a direct gaze. Her attire, including a fashionable dress with intricate patterns and a hat, reflects the sartorial trends of the era. The detailed rendering of her clothing and the carved elements of the chair provide insights into the material culture and social conventions prevalent in the mid-19th century.
Artist & collection
- Mrs. Henry Scudder Plat (Maria Frisbie)
Portrait of a Lady
Mrs. David R. Van Derveer (Eliza Holmes Ellis)
Eliza Lord Duryee
Portrait of a Lady
Mrs. Alvan Clark (Maria Pease)
Mrs. Alexander (Sarah Giraud) Grant
Portrait of a Lady
Mrs. Henry Codman (Catherine Willard Amory)
Mrs. Theodore Camp
Portrait of a Woman, Called Héloïse Abélard
Portrait of a Lady