Colonel James Elliott McPherson
1819
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
3 9/16 x 2 15/16 in. (9.1 x 7.5 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dale T. Johnson Fund, 2006
Accession Number
2006.235.310
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum Art, Charles Fraser's 1819 miniature *Colonel James Elliott McPherson* the poise of an early American military figure. Fraser (1782–1860), a celebrated miniaturist based in Charleston, South Carolina specialized in these intimate portraits, blending European traditions with a distinctly American sensibility during the post-Revolutionary era. Rendered at just 3 9/16 x 2 15/16 inches, this work exemplifies the elegance of Federal-period portraiture, where sitters like the colonel—likely a veteran of the War of 1812—were honored in personal keepsake...