Nathaniel Pearce
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
2 3/8 x 2 in. (6 x 5 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Gloria Manney, 2006
Accession Number
2006.235.106
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, America emerged from the Revolutionary War into the Federal era, intimate portrait miniatures like Edward Greene Malbone's *iel Pearce* (179) captured the likenesses of prominent citizens. This delicate watercolor on ivory, measuring just 2 3/8 x 2 inches, depicts the sitter—likely a New England merchant or professional—with remarkable precision and warmth. Malbone, one of America's premier miniaturists active from the 1790s to 1807, honed his craft in Providence, Rhode Island, and later itinerant travels, drawing from English traditions while infusing a distinctly Am...
About the Artist
Edward Greene Malbone · 1777–1807
1777–1807