The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Portrait of Anna Walmesley

Portrait of Anna Walmesley

1795
(British, 1763–1837)
England, 18th century
watercolor on ivory in a gold frame with hair reverse
Image: 6.4 x 5.6 cm (2 1/2 x 2 3/16 in.); Framed: 7.5 x 6 cm (2 15/16 x 2 3/8 in.); Sight: 6.7 x 5.4 cm (2 5/8 x 2 1/8 in.)
The Edward B. Greene Collection 1943.648
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Engraved on the top of the frame is the name Anna Walmesley, but because this was a common name, the museum has yet to discover any information about the sitter or to confirm her identity.

Description

Sons of a clockmaker, Nathaniel Plimer and his younger brother Andrew initially trained in their father's profession, although they grew restless with this trade, and ran off to live with Gypsies for two years. By 1781, they were together in London, and determined to practice art. Both took up residence with established artists. Nathaniel worked as a servant to the enamelist Henry Bone, and Andrew became the valet to the portrait and miniature painter Richard Cosway. Cosway discovered Andrew copying one of his miniatures and introduced him to miniature painting. Andrew assimilated his master's airy execution and adapted Cosway's linear brushwork that leaves much of the bare ivory visible. He also employed Cosway's use of large, expressive eyes that made his miniatures appear soulfully elegant, earning him high praise among legions of admirers. A quick study, Andrew set up his own studio by 1786 and he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1786–1830. Andrew Plimer's works fall into two phases. In the first, his sitters appear more naturalistically rendered than those painted after around 1789. During the earlier period he frequently included his initials, "A.P.," on the front of the miniature, followed by a date. By contrast, he did not sign or date works in the second phase. Furthermore, in Andrew's second phase of work, he reduced his palette and, perhaps due to his high output, sitters share many visual characteristics; in particular, his women have elongated necks, long noses, and large appealing eyes.
  • Before 1930
    Walmesley Family
    -1930
    (Leo Schidlof, Paris, France, sold to Edward B. Greene).
    1930-1943
    Edward B. Greene (1878-1957), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1943-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art. Portrait Miniatures: The Edward B. Greene Collection. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1951. Reproduced: p. 29, no. 29, pl. XX archive.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art. Portraiture: The Image of the Individual. 1983. gallery guide, listed
    Cleveland Museum of Art, and Alan Chong. European & American Painting in the Cleveland Museum of Art: A Summary Catalogue. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1993. p. 300
    Korkow, Cory, and Dario Robleto. Disembodied: Portrait Miniatures and Their Contemporary Relatives. 2013.
    Korkow, Cory, and Jon L. Seydl. British Portrait Miniatures: The Cleveland Museum of Art. 2013. Cat. no. 56, pp. 224-225
  • Disembodied: Portrait Minatures and their Contemporary Relatives. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 10, 2013-February 16, 2014).
    Intimate Images: Portrait Miniatures from Europe and America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-October 17, 1993).
    Portraiture: The Image of the Individual. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 22, 1983-January 22, 1984).
  • {{cite web|title=Portrait of Anna Walmesley|url=false|author=Andrew Plimer|year=1795|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1943.648