Artwork
Portrait of a Baby
Portrait of a Baby is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This miniature portrait, rendered in watercolor on ivory, depicts a plump infant seated on a red cushion.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Portrait of a Baby is a small-format watercolor on ivory depicting an unnamed infant as its sole subject.
Portrait of a Baby is a small-format watercolor on ivory depicting an unnamed infant as its sole subject. Created anonymously in 1850, the work belongs to the tradition of miniature portraiture, a genre closely associated with personal keepsakes and family commemoration in the mid-nineteenth century. Because the artist is unknown and the sitter is not identified, the painting functions less as an individualized likeness than as a generic study of childhood, a common theme in American portraiture of the period.
The diminutive scale, 7.6 by 6 centimeters, and the use of ivory as a support reinforce the work's intimate, private character, suggesting it was intended for close viewing rather than public display. Held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the portrait reflects nineteenth-century conventions of representing infancy as a subject worthy of fine-art treatment, while leaving the specific identity, symbolism, and intended meaning of the child open to interpretation.
Technique & Style
The portrait is painted in watercolor on a small ivory support measuring 7.6 cm in height by 6 cm in width. The handling is delicate and precise, characteristic of miniature portraiture, with fine brushwork used to render the infant’s features and costume details. Stylistically, the work adheres to the conventions of mid-19th-century portrait miniatures, emphasizing clarity and restrained modeling rather than painterly texture.
History & Provenance
The miniature entered the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2006 as accession 2006.235.216, where it remains held. The work is dated to 1850, aligning with the medium’s common use during the mid-nineteenth century. No record of a commissioned patron or named sitter has been traced in available sources, and the artist is recorded as unknown.
The painting is catalogued among portrait miniatures in The American Wing, a department that aggregates American works from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The watercolor on ivory known as Portrait of a Baby is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing. The museum acquired the piece in 2006, assigning it the accession number 2006.235.216. While the work dates to 1850 and depicts an infant, the provided records do not list specific past exhibitions or loan history for this object.
Context
The 1850 watercolor on ivory titled Portrait of a Baby is classified as a portrait within The American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, situating it within the corpus of early American portraiture. Its depiction of an infant aligns with 19th‑century American interests in sentimental representations of childhood, and its presence in a major museum collection has prompted scholarly attention to anonymous works as windows into period artistic conventions. The work’s medium, date, and classification collectively illustrate the development of American genre painting and the institutional emphasis on preserving formative phases of national art history.
Overview
This miniature portrait, rendered in watercolor on ivory, depicts a plump infant seated on a red cushion. Measuring approximately three inches in height, it represents a departure from typical 19th-century miniature subjects, which more commonly featured adults. The artwork is housed within the American Wing, reflecting its origin and style.
Artist & collection
