Portrait of a Woman
ca. 1800
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
Oval, 3 1/2 x 3 in. (90 x 75 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Collis P. Huntington, 1900
Accession Number
26.168.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Portrait of a Woman*, created around 1800 by French miniaturist Etienne Charles Le Gu, exemplifies the intimate artistry of early 19th-century portrait miniatures. Rendered on ivory in an oval format measuring just 3½ x 3 inches, it captures the subject's refined features with remarkable precision, a hallmark of Guay's neoclassical style. These tiny works, often worn as jewelry or kept in cases, served as cherished mementos for loved ones during an era of political upheaval, including the Napoleonic Wars. Ivory's smooth, luminous surface was ideal for the fine brushwork and sub...