Portrait of a Lady
1761
Medium
Watercolor on ivory, mounted in tortoise shell and gold box
Dimensions
Portrait: 3.8 × 4.6 cm (1 1/2 × 1 13/16 in.); Box: 2.5 × 3.5 × 5.7 cm (1 × 2 3/8 × 2 1/4 in.)
Classification
miniature painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
7430
Art Historical Context
Created in 1761 by British artist John Smart, this delicate miniature captures the refined portraiture traditions of 18th-century Europe. Smart, renowned for his meticulous attention to detail, was among the leading miniaturists of his generation, working primarily in watercolor on ivory to achieve luminous, lifelike effects. Such small-scale works often served as intimate tokens of affection or status, easily carried or displayed in personal settings. The painting’s presentation in a tortoise-shell and gold box underscores its dual role as both artwork and functional object, common in an era...