Portrait of a Lady

Art Historical Context

Step into the refined world of early American portraiture with *Portrait of a Lady* Robert Field, created around 1800. This watercolor on ivory miniature, measuring just 3 5/16 x 2 11/16 inches, captures the elegance of a woman from the Federal era. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it reflects the cultural sophistication of post-Revolutionary America, where such intimate likenesses served as cherished personal keepsakes. Field, a skilled miniaturist trained in England before working in Philadelphia and Baltimore, excelled in this delicate medium. Watercolor on ivory allowed for luminous transparency and fine detail, mimicking the glow of oil portraits in a portable format—perfect for lockets, brooches, or pocket cases. These miniatures were status symbols among the emerging American elite, blending British neoclassical influences with a distinctly Yankee restraint. Though the sitter remains unidentified, her poised gaze and period attire evoke the ideals of femininity and refinement in a young republic. Acquired through the Dale T. Johnson Fund in 2006, this gem highlights the artistry of overlooked traditions, inviting visitors to marvel at the precision required to render such lifelike beauty on a thumbnail-sized surface.