Artwork
Portrait of a Child
Portrait of a Child is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist William Lydston Jr.. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
It portrays a young child, situating the image within the portrait genre and emphasizing the subject's youth.
The work titled Portrait of a Child, painted by William Lydston Jr. in 1847, is a watercolor on ivory in The American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It portrays a young child, situating the image within the portrait genre and emphasizing the subject's youth. The dimensions of the piece are 5.5 centimeters in height and 4.3 centimeters in width, as recorded in the catalogue documentation.
As a portrait, the work functions as a conventional commemorative representation of a child, in keeping with the purpose of nineteenth-century portrait miniatures.
Technique & Style
Portrait of a Child is executed in watercolor on a thin ivory support, a technique documented for the work. The medium consists of watercolor pigments applied to the ivory sheet, which serves as the painting's support. The support's dimensions are 5.5 centimeters in height by 4.3 centimeters in width, dating to 1847.
The piece is held in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is recorded as a portrait genre work depicting a child. No further details regarding handling, condition, or stylistic analysis are provided in the source documentation.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Child was created in 1847 by American artist William Lydston Jr., executed as a watercolor on ivory. The work depicts a young child in a portrait format and is presently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, indicating its current ownership. No further details regarding its commission, earlier owners, or exhibition history are provided in the available sources.
Overview
William Lydston Jr. created Portrait of a Child in 1847, a small, round watercolor on ivory. This delicate work depicts a young girl, characteristic of the intimate scale and medium popular for personal keepsakes during the period. The artwork is housed within the American Wing, reflecting its historical context within American art collections.
Context
Miniature portraits like this one were popular during the mid-19th century, serving as highly personal objects before the widespread availability of photography. Their small size made them ideal for private display or as portable keepsakes. Artists specializing in this demanding medium often worked quickly to achieve the desired delicate effects, reflecting the era's aesthetic preferences for intimate and detailed representations.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Lydston Jr. painted small watercolor portraits on ivory in the early 1840s. His delicate Portrait of a Child (1842) shows a young face with soft colors and fine details, typical of the period’s miniature…
