Elizabeth Bushby
1804
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
Oval, 3 x 2 1/4 in. (75 x 57 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Collis P. Huntington, 1900
Accession Number
26.168.59
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of European Paintings, this exquisite oval miniature portrait, *Elizabeth Bushby* (1804), captures the refined elegance of early 19th-century British portraiture. Painted by Andrew Plimer on ivory and measuring just 3 x 2¼ inches (75 x 57 mm), it exemplifies the intimate scale of miniatures—tiny treasures designed for personal devotion, often worn as lockets or pinned to clothing. Ivory's smooth, luminous surface was prized by miniaturists for its ability to hold fine detail and subtle color gradations, allowing Plimer to render the sitte...