Portrait of Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart
1686/1700
Medium
Watercolor on paper
Dimensions
7 × 5.7 cm (2 3/4 × 2 1/4 in.); Framed: 7.3 × 6 cm (2 7/8 × 2 3/8 in.)
Classification
miniature painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
9745
Art Historical Context
This exquisite miniature portrait captures Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, rendered in watercolor on paper by John Hoskins the Younger around 1686–1700. Measuring just 7 × 57 cm, it exemplifies the intimate scale of 17th-century painting, a specialty of English artists like Hoskins, family dominated the genre. These tiny works, often framed for pendants or private cases, allowed the elite to carry likenesses of loved ones close to the heart—both literally and figuratively. Hoskins's technique showcases the precision of watercolor, applied in delicate glazes to achieve luminous skin tone...