Sarah Russell Church (daughter of Edward Church)
1799
Medium
Probably Conté crayon on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
8 3/8 x 6 1/4 in. (21.3 x 15.9 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Ella Church Strobell, 1917
Accession Number
17.134.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate portrait drawing, *Sarah Russell Church (daughter of Edward Church)* captures the poised likeness of a young American woman in 1799, rendered by the emerging artist John Vanderlyn. just 24 years old Vanderlyn was already demonstrating his skill in neoclassical portraiture, influenced by European traditions he would later explore in Paris. The intimate scale—8 3/8 x 6 1/4 inches—suggests a personal commission, likely for family keepsake, highlighting the era's growing demand for accessible likenesses among the emerging American middle class. Executed in Conté crayon on off-white ...
About the Artist
John Vanderlyn · 1775–1852
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