Who created "Self-portrait"?

Self-portrait was created by Thomas Seir Cummings in ca. 1825.

When was "Self-portrait" created?

This artwork was created ca. 1825.

What medium is "Self-portrait"?

Self-portrait is Watercolor on ivory.

Is "Self-portrait" in the public domain?

Yes, Self-portrait is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Self-portrait

Thomas Seir Cummings

ca. 1825

Medium

Watercolor on ivory

Dimensions

3 x 2 1/2 in. (7.6 x 6.4 cm)

Classification

Painting, miniature

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of Thomas S. C. Holberton Jr., 2000

Accession Number

2000.452.1

Tags

MenSelf-portraits

Art Historical Context

Thomas Seir Cummings's *Self-Portrait* (ca. 1825) captures the artist at around age 21 in a diminutive watercolor on ivory, measuring just 3 x 2½ inches. This intimate scale was ideal for portrait miniatures, a cherished 19th-century tradition where finely painted likenesses were often set into lockets, brooches, or cases as personal keepsakes. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it exemplifies early American portraiture during the Federal period, blending European influences with emerging national identity. Cummings, a skilled miniaturist active in New York, showcases m...

About the Artist

Thomas Seir Cummings · 1804–1894

American (born England), Bath 1804–1894 Hackensack, New Jersey

Self-portrait

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