Portrait of an Officer
c. 1785
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
6.2 × 4.8 cm (2 7/16 × 1 7/8 in.); Framed: 10.2 × 7 cm (4 × 2 3/4 in.)
Classification
miniature painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
7206
Art Historical Context
Richard Cosway, a leading British miniaturist and Royal Academician, created this elegant *Portrait of an Officer* around 1785. Executed in watercolor on ivory, the tiny work measures just over two inches high, underscoring the intimate scale typical of Georgian-era portraiture. Such miniatures served as personal keepsakes, often worn in lockets or carried as tokens of affection, status, or military pride during a period of expanding British imperial reach. The medium itself highlights Cosway’s technical mastery; watercolor on ivory allowed luminous, jewel-like effects and fine detail that la...