Artwork
T. Matthew Pratt
T. Matthew Pratt is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This miniature portrait depicts T.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition, medium, and dating are documented in the museum’s records and corroborated by the artwork’s entry in Wikidata.
The work titled T. Matthew Pratt is an anonymous 1790 watercolor on ivory portrait housed in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It depicts an unidentified male sitter, a common genre in late‑18th‑century American portraiture, and is classified simply as a portrait in both the museum’s catalogue and Wikidata. The sources do not specify any iconographic attributes or symbolic objects for the figure, and the painting’s meaning is understood through its function as a conventional portrait of a gentleman from the period.
The composition, medium, and dating are documented in the museum’s records and corroborated by the artwork’s entry in Wikidata.
Technique & Style
This 1790 portrait is executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature format consistent with late eighteenth-century American portrait practice. The small-scale support, measuring 6.5 by 5.2 centimetres, allowed for delicate handling and fine detail characteristic of the ivory-ground technique, in which translucent watercolor washes are layered over a smooth, luminous surface. The medium lends itself to subtle tonal gradations and a refined finish suited to intimate likenesses.
The work is classified within The American Wing and falls within the portrait genre, depicting a male sitter.
History & Provenance
T. Matthew Pratt is an anonymous 1790 watercolor on ivory portrait held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing. The work, classified as a portrait of a man, was accessioned by the museum and remains part of its collection, indicating a continuous ownership chain from its creation to the present. No documentation of a specific commission survives, and the artist remains unidentified.
The dating is based on the museum’s classification and the work’s inception date of 1790. Its physical dimensions are approximately 6.5 × 5.2 cm.
The watercolor on ivory portrait of T. Matthew Pratt, dated 1790, is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing and housed at its Manhattan location. The portrait measures 6.5 by 5.2 cm in height and width respectively. No specific accession number, acquisition date, or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This miniature portrait depicts T. Matthew Pratt, rendered in watercolor on ivory. The subject is presented in a dark coat, his face gently illuminated against an unadorned background. His hair is powdered, and he maintains a composed expression.
This intimate scale and precise execution are characteristic of portraiture from the period, often intended for personal viewing or as a memento.
Artist & collection
