Artwork
Brock Livingston Delaplaine
Brock Livingston Delaplaine is a copper painting by the American Folk Art artist William Russell Birch. It dates from 1817 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
If you like how light plays on skin, look up the technique called sfumato.
A boy in a dark coat and white collar looks straight at you. His cheeks are pink, his hair neatly combed. The background is plain brown, so your eyes stay on his face.
This tiny painting is on copper, not canvas. The smooth metal makes the colors glow like stained glass. It was made in 1817, when most portraits were much bigger and fancier.
If you like how light plays on skin, look up the technique called sfumato.
Subject & Meaning
The work is a portrait depicting a young boy, executed in 1817 by William Russell Birch. As an enamel on copper piece, the artwork functions primarily as a formal representation of the sitter, capturing his likeness without the inclusion of complex narrative iconography or explicit symbolic attributes described in available records. The subject is identified simply as a boy, reflecting the genre conventions of early 19th-century portraiture where the focus remained on the individual's presence and status rather than allegorical meaning.
The piece serves as a historical document of the subject's appearance during that period, housed within The American Wing collection. No specific symbolic objects, gestures, or background elements are noted in the source material to suggest a deeper allegorical interpretation beyond the standard commemorative purpose of the portrait.
Technique & Style
The portrait Brock Livingston Delaplaine, painted in 1817 by William Russell Birch, is executed in enamel on a copper support, a technique that yields a smooth, glossy surface and fine linear detail characteristic of early American portrait miniatures. The work measures approximately 7.6 cm in height by 6.4 cm in width, reflecting the compact scale typical of miniature portraits of the period. It is classified within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is catalogued as a portrait genre depiction of a boy.
The enamel medium allows for precise rendering of facial features and clothing, while the copper substrate provides a rigid, reflective ground that enhances color saturation.
History & Provenance
The work titled Brock Livingston Delaplaine was executed in 1817 by American miniaturist William Russell Birch using enamel on copper. It portrays a young boy identified as Brock Livingston Delaplaine and belongs to the portrait genre. The painting was created as a commissioned portrait, though documentation of the commission is not detailed in the sources.
After its execution, the piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued within The American Wing and listed with dimensions of 7.6 × 6.4 cm. Its provenance is therefore traced directly to the museum’s holdings.
The enamel portrait of a boy by William Russell Birch, dated 1817, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is classified within the museum's American Wing. While specific accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the piece is cataloged with dimensions of 7.6 cm in height and 6.4 cm in width.
The provided sources confirm the work's presence in the museum but do not contain details regarding a specific inventory number or a documented exhibition history for this piece.
Overview
William Russell Birch created this enamel-on-copper portrait, titled Brock Livingston Delaplaine, in 1817. Depicting a young boy, the work is recognized within the tradition of American folk art. Birch, an English artist, specialized in miniature painting and engraving, bringing these skills to his detailed enamel pieces. The artwork is part of The American Wing collection.
Context
Created in 1817, Brock Livingston Delaplaine exemplifies the practice of miniature portraiture, a popular art form during the period. While Birch was English, his work is categorized as American folk art, reflecting its place within collections and its stylistic characteristics. This piece offers insight into the visual culture of early 19th-century America, particularly in its depiction of children.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Russell Birch (9 April 1755 – 7 August 1834) was an English miniature painter, enameler, and landscape engraver and designer.
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