Portrait of a Lady
Unknown Artist
ca. 1801
Medium
Watercolor on ivory in gold case
Dimensions
2 5/16 x 1 13/16 in. (5.9 x 4.6 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 2006
Accession Number
2006.235.247
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum Art, this delicate *Portrait of a Lady*ca. 1801) captures the elegance of early 19th American portraiture. Crafted by an unknown artist using watercolor on ivory and housed in a ornate gold case, the miniature measures just 2 5/16 x 1 13/16 inches—small enough to wear as a locket or carry as a cherished token. This intimate scale was ideal for personal mementos, evoking the sentimental bonds of family, courtship, or remembrance during the Federal period. Watercolor on ivory exemplifies a prized technique of the era, where pigments' trans...