Portrait of a Lady

Thomas S. Officer, Portrait of a Lady, ca. 1850, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore, 1950.4.41
Copied Thomas S. Officer, Portrait of a Lady, ca. 1850, watercolor on ivory, sight 5 x 2 1⁄2 in. (12.7 x 6.4 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore, 1950.4.41
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of a Lady
Artist
Date
ca. 1850
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 5 x 2 1⁄2 in. (12.7 x 6.4 cm) rectangle
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait female — unidentified — bust
Object Number
1950.4.41
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1950.4.41

Artwork Description

Thomas Officer painted this miniature while he was living in Mexico between 1848 and 1850. The lady wears a brooch and bracelet possibly of black onyx, and a necklace and earrings of pearls. These accessories accentuate the contrast between her fair skin and dark eyes and hair. The elegant pose has been undercut by the formal, almost awkward rendering of the sitter’s left hand.