Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2006.235.314
- Credit line
- Gift of Gloria Manney, 2006
About this work
Painted on a two-and-a-half-inch square of ivory around 1790, a French miniature shows an unidentified woman in the restrained style of the late Ancien Regime. The Met acquired it in 2006 from the portrait-miniature collection assembled by Gloria Manney. The artist left no signature, so the work stays anonymous, a pocket-sized keepsake of the kind that circulated among European elites.
Technique & Style
This 1790 portrait is executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature technique characteristic of late eighteenth-century portrait practice.
This 1790 portrait is executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature technique characteristic of late eighteenth-century portrait practice. The small-scale support, with dimensions of 6.4 by 6.4 centimeters, situates the work firmly within the tradition of cabinet miniatures designed for intimate viewing. The sitter is rendered with attention to fine costume details, including a cap, collar, fichu, lace, and a bow, suggesting careful handling of delicate linear washes to describe textile ornament.
The ivory ground would have provided a smooth, luminous surface that complemented the translucent qualities of watercolor, allowing the artist to build subtle tonal gradations in the flesh tones. The square format and the concentration on head-and-shoulders presentation reflect the conventional compositional approach of miniature portraiture of the period.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Lady (1790) is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. Its accession number is 2006.235.314, identifying it as an anonymous watercolor on ivory within the museum's collection. The work is catalogued as a portrait miniature depicting a woman wearing a cap, fichu, lace, collar, and bow. No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
This French miniature, titled "Portrait of a Lady," dates to approximately 1790. Executed in watercolor on a two-and-a-half-inch square of ivory, it depicts an unidentified woman from the final years of the Ancien Régime. The artist's identity remains unknown, a common characteristic for works of this intimate scale.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired the piece in 2006 as part of a significant collection of portrait miniatures.
Subject & Meaning
Though the sitter's name is lost to history, this portrait exemplifies the personal nature of miniatures from its era. Such small-scale works served as private tokens of affection, frequently worn as jewelry or carried as mementos. Their intimate size and often anonymous authorship underscore their role as cherished keepsakes exchanged among individuals, rather than public declarations.
Context
Created around 1790, this miniature belongs to the twilight of the French Ancien Régime, a period of social and political transition. Its small scale and the anonymity of both artist and sitter are characteristic of a genre that flourished by providing intimate, portable images. These works circulated among European elites, offering personal connections in an era preceding widespread photography.
Artist & collection
