Artwork
M.T. Webb
M.T. Webb is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. M.
About this work
This painting shows a man in a dark coat against a plain background. His face looks calm but tired. The work uses watercolor on ivory, a delicate mini-portrait style.
The ivory is tiny, just a few inches wide. That size makes the details pop. It was painted around 1830, when such miniatures were common for keepsakes.
The Met holds this piece in its collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition follows the conventions of formal likeness, emphasizing the sitter’s presence without overt narrative or symbolic attributes.
The work is a portrait, showing a sitter identified only by the title M.T. Webb. The unknown artist rendered the figure in watercolor on ivory, a format typical of early‑19th‑century American portraiture. The composition follows the conventions of formal likeness, emphasizing the sitter’s presence without overt narrative or symbolic attributes.
As part of The American Wing’s collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the piece reflects the period’s interest in individual representation and the growing market for privately commissioned portraits. Its modest dimensions (8.1 cm × 6.7 cm) underscore the intimate nature of the work.
History & Provenance
Created in 1830, this watercolor portrait on ivory was executed by an unidentified artist. The work measures 8.1 by 6.7 units and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing. No specific details regarding the original commission, previous owners, or the chain of custody prior to its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
M.T. Webb is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing. The work, a watercolor on ivory portrait dated 1830 by an unknown artist, is part of the museum's holdings. The sources confirm its location at the Metropolitan Museum of Art but do not provide a specific accession number or inventory identifier. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Context
The work titled M.T. Webb is a watercolor on ivory portrait dating to 1830, classified within the American Wing of a major encyclopedic museum.
It is listed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is described as a portrait and documented with dimensions of 8.1 cm by 6.7 cm.
The attribution to an unknown creator places the piece within the early nineteenth‑century American portrait tradition, illustrating the genre’s evolution before the rise of formal academic training.
Overview
M.T. Webb is a small watercolor portrait executed on a thin slice of ivory. The work measures only a few inches across and presents a solitary male figure in a dark coat, set against an unadorned background. The sitter’s expression is composed yet weary, characteristic of intimate miniature portraiture of the early nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
The artist employed watercolor pigments applied directly to the ivory substrate, a medium prized for its smooth, luminous surface. The miniature format demands fine brushwork, allowing subtle modeling of facial features and fabric textures within a confined space. The restrained palette and plain backdrop focus attention on the sitter’s visage.
Artist & collection
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