Portrait of General Juan Pablo Anaya
ca. 1830
Medium
Colored wax, paper, gold
Dimensions
5 3/4 x 5 in. (14.6 x 12.7 cm)
Classification
Bust
Culture
Mexican
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Martin, 1938
Accession Number
38.145.146
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate profile portrait of General Juan Anaya, crafted around 1830, captures the stern visage of a prominent Mexican military figure during a turbulent era following Mexico's independence from Spain 1821. Rendered in colored wax on paper with gold accents, the small-scale work (just 5¾ x 5 inches) exemplifies a cherished 19th-century technique for creating intimate, lifelike miniatures. Wax allowed artists to achieve a three-dimensional, translucent glow that mimicked flesh tones and highlighted details like the general's uniform and features, making it an accessible alternative to oil ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...