The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 20, 2026

A circular watercolor on ivory portrait depicts a woman with light skin tone set in an ornate gold frame. Her brown hair is pinned back as she looks out, head tilted slightly right. She wears a ruffled, pale blue, off-the-shoulder gown. Her hands rest in her lap against a cream background with muted yellow and green floral patterns. A signature and date appear to our left.

The Blue Gown (Portrait of Ethel Coe)

1899

Martha S. Baker

(American, 1871–1911)
America, late 19th century
watercolor on ivory
Diameter: 10 cm (3 15/16 in.); Diameter of frame: 10.8 cm (4 1/4 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Baker 1915.142
Location: 203B British Painting and Decorative Arts

Did You Know?

A handwritten label on the back of this portrait miniature revealed the sitter’s identity.

Description

Martha S. Baker was best known for painting portrait miniatures on ivory. The sitter in this example was not only a fellow artist, but likely one of her former students. Interestingly, the miniature remained in Baker’s possession at the time of her death and was later gifted by her relatives to the museum.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Baker.
  • "Permanent Collection Installations.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 66, no. 1 (2026): 14-15. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 15 archive.org
  • Disembodied: Portrait Minatures and their Contemporary Relatives. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 10, 2013-February 16, 2014).
    Main European Rotation (Gallery 202), January 30, 2012 - July 23, 2012. Verso on display.
    Intimate Images: Portrait Miniatures from Europe and America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-October 17, 1993).
  • {{cite web|title=The Blue Gown (Portrait of Ethel Coe)|url=false|author=Martha S. Baker|year=1899|access-date=20 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.142