Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Rendered in watercolor on ivory in 1850, the piece is classified as a portrait within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The work titled Portrait of a Lady portrays a solitary female sitter, identified only as a woman in the catalog records. Rendered in watercolor on ivory in 1850, the piece is classified as a portrait within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No artist is credited, and the iconography is limited to the conventional representation of a woman in contemporary attire, without additional symbolic attributes.
As a portrait, the work functions to document the sitter’s appearance while also reflecting the aesthetic conventions of mid‑nineteenth‑century American portraiture. Its meaning is tied to the visual emphasis on gendered identity and the sitter’s status as a subject of artistic representation.
Technique & Style
Created in 1850, this portrait is executed in watercolor on an ivory support. The work is a small-scale miniature, measuring approximately 8.3 by 6.7 units. Stylistically, it functions as a formal depiction of a female subject, adhering to the conventions of nineteenth-century portraiture.
The choice of ivory as a ground is characteristic of the medium's handling during this period, allowing for the luminous quality typical of watercolor miniatures. While the specific artist remains unidentified, the piece is classified within the American Wing collection, indicating its origin within the United States. The composition focuses exclusively on the woman, presenting her likeness through the delicate application of pigment on the smooth, hard surface of the ivory.
History & Provenance
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, with inventory number 1974.152. It has been exhibited at the museum under its American Wing holdings since accession in 1974, though specific exhibition records are not detailed in the cited sources.
Legacy
The watercolor, dated 1850 and attributed to an unknown hand, entered The Metropolitan Museum of Art where it is displayed in The American Wing as a representative example of mid‑nineteenth‑century American portraiture. Its classification as a portrait of a woman and its medium of watercolor on ivory have made it a reference point for studies of anonymous portrait production in the United States. The work’s inclusion in a premier museum collection has reinforced its reputation as an illustrative piece for understanding the development of portrait genre conventions in antebellum America.
Overview
This miniature, titled Portrait of a Lady, is rendered in watercolor on ivory. The unidentified sitter, depicted with her hair neatly styled and wearing a dark dress, gazes directly forward. The small scale of the work, combined with the luminous quality of the ivory support, creates a delicate and intimate portrayal, where the subject's skin appears to softly glow.
Context
The inherent portability of watercolor on ivory made it an ideal medium for itinerant artists or for sittings conducted in private homes. This miniature was likely created during a brief encounter, possibly within the sitter's own parlor, reflecting a common practice for portraiture in an era before widespread photography. Such works offered a personal memento, easily transported or displayed.
Artist & collection
