Old Woman in Grey

Betsy Flagg Melcher, Old Woman in Grey, 1931, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the American Society of Miniature Painters, 1965.30.16
Copied Betsy Flagg Melcher, Old Woman in Grey, 1931, watercolor on ivory, sight 4 3⁄8 x 3 in. (11.1 x 7.6 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the American Society of Miniature Painters, 1965.30.16

Artwork Details

Title
Old Woman in Grey
Artist
Date
1931
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 4 3⁄8 x 3 in. (11.1 x 7.6 cm) rectangle
Credit Line
Gift of the American Society of Miniature Painters
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — unidentified — elderly
  • Portrait female — unidentified — waist length
Object Number
1965.30.16
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.30.16

Artwork Description

This miniature shows a lady dressed from head to toe in a gray gown and bonnet, a style more appropriate to the late 1800s than the 1930s. The grays bring out the shadows in her aging but still beautiful face, while the soberness of her dress emphasizes the strength of character evident in her gaze.