Charles Frederick Mayer

Art Historical Context

This delicate watercolor miniature on ivory portrays Charles Frederick Mayer, a gentleman of early 19th-century America, created by an unknown artist around 1815–1820. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it exemplifies the intimate portrait tradition popular during the Federal period, when such small-scale works served as cherished personal mementos—often pinned to clothing, worn as lockets, or kept in pockets as tokens of affection or remembrance. The medium of watercolor on ivory was prized for its luminous translucency and ability to capture fine details, like the sub...