Portrait of a Gentleman
ca. 1790
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
1 3/4 x 1 11/32 in. (4.4 x 3.4 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Moses Lazarus Collection, Gift of Josephine and Sarah Lazarus, in memory of their father, 1888-95
Accession Number
95.14.70
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of 18th-century portraiture with *Portrait of a Gentleman* by John Ramage, around 1790. This delicate watercolor on ivory, measuring just 1 3/4 x 1 11/32 inches, exemplifies the miniaturist's art—tiny treasures meant for lockets, brooches, or pocket cases. Ramage, a Scottish-born artist who flourished in post-Revolutionary America, captured the refined features of his unnamed sitter with exquisite precision, highlighting the era's emphasis on personal identity and status among the emerging nation's elite. Watercolor on ivory was the gold standard for these miniatu...
About the Artist
John Ramage · 1748–1842
Ireland ca. 1748–1802 Montreal