Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1828 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1827, this portrait is executed as a watercolor on ivory, a medium characteristic of early nineteenth-century miniature portraiture.
Created in 1827, this portrait is executed as a watercolor on ivory, a medium characteristic of early nineteenth-century miniature portraiture. The work is housed within a gilded copper case, which serves to protect the delicate surface and frame the intimate scale of the image. Physically, the piece measures 6.2 cm in height and 4.9 cm in width, reflecting the handheld format typical for this genre.
The artist remains anonymous, with the focus placed on the formal presentation of the female subject through the translucent qualities of the watercolor pigment applied to the ivory support.
History & Provenance
The watercolor portrait Portrait of a Lady, created in 1827 by an unknown artist, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, which depicts a woman on ivory within a gilded copper case, is classified under the museum's American Wing. It carries the accession number 2006.235.220.
The provided sources confirm the artwork's location and inventory details but do not contain specific records regarding its exhibition history.
Context
The work titled Portrait of a Lady is an anonymous watercolor on ivory housed in a gilded copper case, dated 1827 and currently displayed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its modest dimensions of roughly 6.2 × 4.9 cm place it among early American portrait miniatures, reflecting the period’s fascination with intimate, decorative representations of women. As an anonymous piece attributed to an unidentified American miniaturist, it illustrates the limited documentation of female subjects in early republican art and contributes to scholarly discussions of anonymity in early portraiture.
The work’s classification as a portrait within the museum’s collection underscores its significance in tracing the development of American portraiture in the early nineteenth century.
Overview
This small-scale artwork, titled Portrait of a Lady, depicts a woman in a white dress, her gaze directed forward. Rendered in watercolor on a thin sheet of ivory, the miniature is housed within a gilded copper case, suggesting it was designed for personal possession. Its diminutive size, fitting comfortably in the palm, aligns with the common practice of creating portable portraits during its era.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, a woman with dark curls, is presented in a white dress, her expression composed as she meets the viewer's gaze. The intimate scale of the portrait, designed to be held or worn, suggests it served as a personal memento. Such miniatures often commemorated loved ones or significant life events, offering a private connection to the depicted individual.
Artist & collection
