Powell Macrae
1833
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
3 7/8 x 3 3/16 in. (9.8 x 8.1 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jacqueline L. Hammond, 1963
Accession Number
63.182.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Powell Macrae** is a delicate portrait miniature by Charles Fraser, leading American artist of the early 19th century, in 1833. Capturing the likeness of its male subject with remarkable precision, this small-scale work exemplifies Fraser's mastery in the tradition of miniature painting, which flourished in America as personal keepsakes for loved ones. Displayed in The Met's American Wing, it reflects the refined tastes of antebellum society, where such portraits served as cherished mementos, often worn as jewelry or kept in cases. Fraser specialized in watercolor on ivory, a technique that...