The Tomb of Irwin
ca. 1810
Medium
Watercolor on paper
Dimensions
1 11/16 x 1 11/16 in. (4.3 x 4.3 cm)
Classification
Watercolor
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Gloria Manney, 2006
Accession Number
2006.235.113
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, *The Tomb of Irwin*ca. 1810) is a delicate watercolor on paper, measuring just 1 11/16 x 1 11/16 inches—a tiny gem gifted by Gloria Manney in 2006. Created at Mrs. Morris's Academy, work likely emerged from a young women's educational institution where watercolor painting was a refined accomplishment for genteel ladies in early 19th-century America. Its square format and modest scale evoke the intimate, personal nature of such student exercises, blending technical skill with sentimental themes. The painting depicts a tomb, possibly a ...