The Thompson Children
1846
Medium
Watercolor on ivory
Dimensions
4 5/16 x 3 9/16 in. (11 x 9 cm)
Classification
Painting, miniature
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Morris K. Jesup and Maria DeWitt Jesup Funds, 1979
Accession Number
1979.188
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Metropolitan Museum of Art American Wing sits *The Thompson Children*, a delicate 1846 watercolor miniature on ivory by John Carlin. Measuring just 4 5/16 x 3 9/16 inches, this intimate portrait captures two young siblings—a boy and a girl—in period attire, their expressions conveying innocence and poise. Carlin, a prominent New York-based miniaturist active in the mid-19th century, in these small-scale likenesses, which served as cherished family heirlooms before photography became widespread. Watercolor on ivory was the gold standard for such miniatures, prized for its l...
About the Artist
John Carlin · 1813–1891
American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1813–1891 New York