Portrait of a Lady
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
2 5/8 x 2 1/8 in. (6.7 x 5.4 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dale T. Johnson Fund, 2006
Accession Number
2006.235.119
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, Anna Claypoole Peale a talented member of America's pioneering Peale family of artists, crafted this delicate *Portrait of a Lady* 1822. Working in watercolor on ivory—a favored medium for miniature portraits—this 2⅝ × 2⅛-inch gem exemplifies the intimate scale and precision of the genre. The Peales, including her father James and uncle Charles Willson, dominated American portraiture, blending European traditions with a distinctly national spirit during the young republic's formative years. Peale's technique shines in the luminous translucency of watercolor layered ...