Artwork
Portrait of the Daughter(?) of Emilius Nicolai Scherr
Portrait of the Daughter(?) of Emilius Nicolai Scherr is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This miniature portrait, painted in 1863, depicts a woman, possibly the daughter of Emilius Nicolai Scherr.
About this work
The use of dark colors for the subject's clothing contrasts with the lighter background, drawing attention to the subject's features.
This miniature painting, created in 1863, is a portrait of a woman. The subject is depicted in a dark dress, with a book in her lap and a pencil in her hand. She is set against a light-colored background.
The painting's focus on the subject's face and hands creates a sense of intimacy. The use of dark colors for the subject's clothing contrasts with the lighter background, drawing attention to the subject's features.
The artist's use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark, adds depth to the painting. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.
Subject & Meaning
The painting titled Portrait of the Daughter(?) of Emilius Nicolai Scherr is a 1863 miniature executed in watercolor and held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It depicts a young woman identified as the daughter of the Danish painter Emilius Nicolai Scherr, functioning as a conventional portrait that emphasizes familial connection. The iconography is limited to modest attire and a gentle gaze, suggesting an ideal of domestic virtue rather than narrative symbolism.
Its creation as a miniature underscores the intimate, personal nature of the subject, reflecting 19th‑century practices of commemorating close relatives.
Technique & Style
The work is classified as a miniature painting executed in watercolor, a combination of technique and medium characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century portable portraiture. Its compact dimensions, 11 cm in height by 8.5 cm in width, are consistent with the intimate scale typical of the miniature format, designed to be held or worn rather than displayed on a wall.
Stylistically, the piece falls within the genre of portraiture, depicting a single female sitter. The use of watercolor on a small support allowed for delicate handling and fine detail, qualities generally associated with the miniature tradition of the period. No information regarding the specific support (such as ivory, vellum, or card), the present condition of the work, or further stylistic attributes is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Created in 1863, this watercolor miniature depicts a woman identified tentatively as the daughter of Emilius Nicolai Scherr. The work is attributed to an anonymous artist, though internal records associate it with a specific Wikidata entity for the creator. Measuring 11 by 8.5 units, the piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains held.
No specific details regarding the original commission, previous owners, or the circumstances of its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
Overview
This miniature portrait, painted in 1863, depicts a woman, possibly the daughter of Emilius Nicolai Scherr. The subject is shown wearing a dark dress, holding a book on her lap and a pencil in her hand, positioned against a light background. The small scale of the work, combined with its focused composition, creates a sense of personal engagement with the sitter.
Artist & collection
