Artwork
Mrs. Katherine Matthews
Mrs. Katherine Matthews is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Thomas Sully. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Thus, the work serves as both a likeness and a symbolic statement of respectability within the young nation's artistic tradition.
The painting presents Mrs. Katherine Matthews as a young woman of the early Republic, rendered in oil on canvas by Thomas Sully in 1812. As a portrait, it functions as a visual record of her social status and the ideals of femininity valued in the period, emphasizing refinement, modesty, and the domestic virtue associated with the emerging American elite. The composition, typical of Sully's genteel style, uses muted lighting and a restrained pose to convey both personal identity and the broader cultural expectations placed upon women of her class.
Thus, the work serves as both a likeness and a symbolic statement of respectability within the young nation's artistic tradition.
Technique & Style
Mrs. Katherine Matthews is an oil painting executed on canvas, with the support measuring 69.9 by 58.4 centimetres. Classified within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, the work belongs to the genre of portraiture and depicts a woman. The medium of oil on canvas was a standard format for early nineteenth-century American portraitists, allowing for the layered handling of paint and refined surface finish associated with Thomas Sully's practice.
History & Provenance
The portrait Mrs. Katherine Matthews was painted by Thomas Sully in 1812. The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, within The American Wing. No specific accession number or exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Thomas Sully's oil on canvas portrait, Mrs. Katherine Matthews, dates to 1812. This work presents a formal depiction of a woman, seated and engaging the viewer directly. As a significant example within The American Wing, it showcases Sully's approach to capturing individual likeness and the prevailing styles of the early 19th century through the medium of oil painting.
Context
Created in 1812, Mrs. Katherine Matthews reflects the cultural practice of portraiture in the United States during the early 19th century. Artists like Thomas Sully were highly sought after to immortalize prominent citizens. This work, housed in The American Wing, provides insight into the era's aesthetic preferences and the role of art in documenting personal and social identity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Sully was an English-American portrait painter. He was born in England, became a naturalized American citizen in 1809, and lived most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, including in the Thomas Sully…
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