Dorothea Hart

Art Historical Context

In the intimate world of early American portraiture, *Dorothea Hart* (1809) captures a poised profile of its namesake subject, crafted by the husband-and-wife team of Ellen Wallace Sharples and James Shar. The Sharpleses, British artists who emigrated to the United States in the late 18th century, specialized in delicate pastel profiles that offered an accessible alternative to grand oil paintings. This small-scale work, measuring just 9 x 7 7/8 inches, exemplifies their signature style—elegant silhouettes emphasizing facial contours, attire, and subtle expression, popular among the growing American middle class. Executed in pastel on toned laid paper (now oxidized, lending a warm patina), the piece showcases the medium's luminosity and precision. Pastels allowed for swift, vibrant rendering on prepared paper that enhanced shadows and highlights without full underpainting, making these profiles both economical and portable for traveling artists like the Sharpleses. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this portrait reflects the cultural shift toward personal commemoration in post-Revolutionary America, where women like Dorothea Hart—likely from a respectable family—were memorialized in profile views evoking classical antiquity. Acquired via the Fletcher Fund in 1935, it stands as a testament to the Sharpleses' prolific legacy in documenting early national identity.

About the Artist

Ellen Wallace Sharples|James Sharples (British|British) · 1751 |1769 –1811 |1849

ca. 1751–1811|1769–1849