Alexander Henry Durdin

Art Historical Context

This delicate watercolor miniature on ivory, *Alexander Henry Durdin* by Benjamin Trott (. 1810), the refined likeness of its sitter in a remarkably small format—measuring just 3 x 2⅜ inches. Trott, a leading American miniaturist active in the 19th century, in these intimate portraits, which were prized as personal mementos during the Federal period. Often worn as jewelry or housed in protective cases, such works bridged the gap between painting and wearable art, serving as cherished tokens for loved ones separated by travel or circumstance. Painted on ivory, a smooth and luminous support, th...