Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This small watercolor on ivory, encased in gilded copper, depicts a young woman.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition follows the conventions of miniature portraiture, where the sitter is rendered with delicate detail to convey refinement and social standing.
The work titled Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor on ivory set in a gilded copper case, dating to 1830 and housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is classified as a miniature portrait and depicts a solitary woman, identified in the catalog as the main subject. As an anonymous piece, it functions as a generic representation of a lady from the early nineteenth‑century United States, emphasizing the sitter’s gender rather than a specific identity or narrative.
The composition follows the conventions of miniature portraiture, where the sitter is rendered with delicate detail to convey refinement and social standing.
Technique & Style
The work is a miniature portrait executed in watercolor on a thin ivory support, mounted within a gilded copper case that frames the delicate surface. The small dimensions (approximately 5.4 × 4.6 cm) and the use of ivory as a support are typical of early‑19th‑century portrait miniatures, allowing fine detail and a luminous finish. The watercolor technique yields soft tonal transitions and a refined rendering of facial features, while the gilded case provides both protection and ornamental emphasis.
The piece, attributed to an anonymous hand, dates to 1830 and is catalogued in The American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains well‑preserved and displayed in its original case.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of a Lady is a watercolor on ivory set in a gilded copper case, produced in 1830 as a miniature portrait of an unidentified woman. Its creation involved watercolor application on a thin ivory support and a decorative copper case, characteristics noted in the catalog entry. The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is listed under The American Wing and recorded with an inception date of 1830.
No record of a specific commission or patron exists; the artist remains anonymous. The museum’s provenance indicates acquisition and subsequent display as part of its portrait genre holdings.
The watercolor miniature Portrait of a Lady, dated to 1830, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is classified within The American Wing and bears the accession number 2006.235.228. It is cataloged as a portrait of a woman executed in watercolor on ivory and housed in a gilded copper case.
While the artist remains anonymous, the piece is documented in the museum's records as a significant example of early 19th-century American portraiture. The provided sources confirm its current location and inventory details but do not list specific past or future exhibition histories for this particular object.
Overview
This small watercolor on ivory, encased in gilded copper, depicts a young woman. Her dark hair is neatly styled, complementing a high-necked black dress and a white lace collar. The background is a simple gray.
These intimate portraits, often small enough to be held in the hand, served as personal mementos, akin to modern photographs, and were frequently carried by their owners.
Context
During the era of this artwork, many miniature portraits were created by artists who traveled between communities, offering their services for a modest fee. These itinerant painters played a crucial role in documenting individuals before the advent of photography, making personal likenesses accessible to a broader segment of society. The genre flourished as a means of preserving personal connections and family histories.
Artist & collection
- Mrs. Anstis Stone
Eliza Lord Duryee
Mrs. Joseph White (Elizabeth Stone)
Portrait of a Lady
The Artist's Mother
Beulah Elmy Twining (Mrs. Torbert)
Portrait of a Lady
Mrs. Robert Jenkins (Catharine Carmichael)
Catherine Roberts, Gwraig Robert Roberts
Portrait of a Lady (Possibly of the Buloid Family)
Mrs. Cadwallader Colden
Mrs. Levi Willard (Catherine Chandler)
