Miss Lettie Stanley

Unidentified, Miss Lettie Stanley, ca. 1810, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore, 1950.4.29
Copied Unidentified, Miss Lettie Stanley, ca. 1810, watercolor on ivory, 32 38 in. (7.65.9 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore, 1950.4.29
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Artwork Details

Title
Miss Lettie Stanley
Artist
Unidentified
Date
ca. 1810
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
32 38 in. (7.65.9 cm) oval
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Dress — accessory — hat
  • Figure female — elderly — bust
  • Portrait female — Stanley, Lettie — bust
Object Number
1950.4.29

Artwork Description

It is not always possible to identify the sitter in a miniature portrait, and research is still being done on some of the works in the Museum’s collection. Miniatures became popular in England during the early 1700s, commissioned by wealthy families on the occasions of births, engagements, weddings, and bereavements. These paintings, elaborately set into lockets or brooches, provided the wearer with a sentimental connection to a loved one. The back of the miniature often revealed a lock of the sitter’s hair, symbolizing affection, commitment, or loss. The daguerreotype, invented in 1839, provided a cheaper, faster alternative, and portrait miniatures grew less popular. At the turn of the twentieth century, with the establishment of the American Society of Miniature Painters, miniatures enjoyed a brief revival. Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.