Artwork
Anne Charlotte Lynch (Later Mrs. Vincenzo Botta)
Anne Charlotte Lynch (Later Mrs. Vincenzo Botta) is a gouache work on paper by the Realist artist Savinien Edme Dubourjal. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 95.2.3
- Credit line
- Bequest of Vincenzo Botta, 1895
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on the subject as a woman, highlighting specific elements of her attire including a shawl and lace.
This 1847 watercolor and gouache portrait depicts Anne Charlotte Lynch, who later became Mrs. Vincenzo Botta. The composition focuses on the subject as a woman, highlighting specific elements of her attire including a shawl and lace. These details serve as the primary iconographic features of the work, presenting Lynch through the lens of her fashion and social presentation typical of mid-19th-century portraiture. The artwork functions as a visual record of the sitter during this period of her life.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta is a watercolor and lead-white gouache drawing on smooth off-white wove paper, measuring 18.4 cm × 13.3 cm. Executed by Savinien Edme Dubourjal in 1847, the work belongs to The American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The medium allows delicate washes that define the sitter's features while the opaque gouache accentuates the texture of her lace shawl, creating a subtle contrast. The composition emphasizes the sitter's poise and the intricate drapery, rendered with fine line work that highlights the fabric's translucency.
History & Provenance
Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta was portrayed in 1847 by Savinien Edme Dubourjal in watercolor and lead-white gouache on smooth off-white wove paper. The portrait is classified as a work in The American Wing and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains. The work measures 18.4 cm in height and 13.3 cm in width.
Its creation reflects the mid-nineteenth-century American portrait tradition and was produced as a likeness of the poet and translator Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta.
Overview
Savinien Edme Dubourjal's 1847 portrait depicts Anne Charlotte Lynch, the American poet and salon hostess, shortly before her marriage to Italian scholar Vincenzo Botta. Executed in watercolor and lead-white gouache on smooth off-white wove paper, the work presents a half-length view of the sitter seated against a pale, unadorned wall. She wears a dark dress with a stiff, high lace collar, her hands folded calmly in her lap.
Soft, diffused light illuminates her face and the upper portion of her attire, creating a gentle contrast with the deep tones of her clothing. The composition emphasizes her poised demeanor and intellectual presence, characteristic of Dubourjal's refined portraiture style during the mid-19th century. This piece captures Lynch at a pivotal moment in her life, transitioning from her prominent role in New York's literary circles to her future as a writer and translator in Italy.
The medium allows for delicate gradations of tone and texture, particularly in the rendering of the lace and the subtle modeling of her features, reflecting the artist's skill in capturing both likeness and character without excessive ornamentation.
Context
Anne Charlotte Lynch cultivated a significant cultural presence in New York City during the 1840s, where her literary salon became a renowned gathering place for artists, writers, and intellectuals. This portrait captures her at a pivotal moment, just prior to her marriage to Vincenzo Botta, an event that further solidified her position within transatlantic intellectual networks. The work thus serves as a record of a prominent figure at a key juncture in her life.
Artist & collection
