Curtis Clay
1798
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
2 5/8 x 2 1/4 in. (6.8 x 5.6 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2006
Accession Number
2006.235.132
Tags
Art Historical Context
James Peale's *Curtis Clay* (1798) is a delicate watercolor miniature on ivory, measuring just 2⅝ × 2¼ inches, exemplifying the intimate portraiture that flourished in early America. As a member of the renowned Peale family of artists—brother to Charles Willson Peale—James specialized in these petite likenesses, often created as cherished personal mementos for lockets, brooches, or family keepsakes. This portrait captures the sitter, Curtis Clay, with precise detail, highlighting Peale's skill in rendering subtle facial expressions and textures on the smooth, luminous ivory surface. Painted d...
About the Artist
James Peale
James Peale was an American painter born in 1749, the younger brother of the more famous Charles Willson Peale, and a member of one of the most remarkable artistic families in the history of American art. Trained largely by his brother, James worked for many years in Charles Willson's shadow, assisting with portraits and miniatures in the Philadelphia studio before developing his own independent p...