Cleveland Museum of Art

Portrait of a Woman

Anna Claypoole Peale

Date

1820

Medium

watercolor on ivory on a gilt metal locket with red leather case

Culture

America

Department

American Painting and Sculpture

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

As a child, Anna Claypoole Peale observed her father James Peale painting miniature portraits and practiced alongside him. She eventually rivaled his success and became one of the leading portrait miniaturists in American during the 1800s. The sitter’s identity is unknown, but her likeness has been skillfully rendered to emphasize her rosy cheeks, pale skin, and red lips. This object was likely gifted as a sentimental memento to a loved one. A compartment on the back of this painting may have originally contained a lock of the sitter’s hair.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.