Artwork
Portrait of a Woman, called Mrs. Close

Portrait of a Woman, called Mrs. Close is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This small oval painting, titled Portrait of a Woman, called Mrs.
About this work
History & Provenance
The sources do not document the circumstances of its commission, the identity of the sitter, or the chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum.
Portrait of a Woman, called Mrs. Close is a portrait miniature dated to 1786 and attributed to Horace Hone, a British miniaturist active in the late eighteenth century. The work is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded under the accession number 1943.644. The sources do not document the circumstances of its commission, the identity of the sitter, or the chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum.
The portrait miniature known as Portrait of a Woman, called Mrs. Close is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The institution assigns the work the accession number 1943.644. Created in 1786, the piece is attributed to the British artist Horace Hone.
The provided sources confirm the work's location and inventory details but do not list specific past exhibitions or a detailed provenance history prior to its museum acquisition.
Overview
This small oval painting, titled Portrait of a Woman, called Mrs. Close, presents a seated woman with dark, curly hair styled high. She wears a dark purple dress adorned with a white lace collar and a small brooch at her throat. The composition emphasizes her features and attire against a plain background, rendered with soft colors and a subtle luminosity on her skin. The gold frame, featuring a hanging ring, suggests its original display as a wall-mounted piece.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a restrained palette of soft hues, creating a gentle glow on the sitter's skin and a warm tone in the background. The oval format and unadorned backdrop direct the viewer's attention entirely to the woman's face and clothing. Details such as the delicate lace collar and the small brooch are rendered with precision, highlighting the sitter's refined appearance within the intimate scale of the portrait.
Artist & collection










