An Art Student of Paris

1899

Martha S. Baker

(American, 1871–1911)

Culture

America

Medium

watercolor on ivorine

Measurements

Framed: 5.2 x 4.6 cm (2 1/16 x 1 13/16 in.); Unframed: 4.9 x 4.1 cm (1 15/16 x 1 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Baker 1915.141

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

While portrait miniatures were usually executed on ivory, this example is painted on “ivorine,” an early plastic.

Description

The sitter’s identity is unknown, but she was likely a student of Martha Baker, who was living and teaching in Paris in 1899. Demand for Baker’s portrait miniatures was so great that she resigned from teaching to keep up with commissions. The artist’s obituary in the New York Times stated that she was “the world’s foremost miniature painter.” In this example, the sitter’s shoulders seem to fade into the pale background, emphasizing the similarity between her skin and the material upon which her likeness is painted.