Probably Mary Hallam Saltonstall
SubjectPortrait of
Mary Hallam Saltonstall
(1791-1822)
PainterAttributed to
Betsy Way
Date1815-1820
MediumMiniature; watercolor and gouache on paper in wooden frame
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions: 3 5/16 x 3 5/16in. (8.3 x 8.3cm)
Frame: 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 x 11/16in. (12.4 x 12.4 x 1.7cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1991.13.0
DescriptionBust-length portrait miniature a women, seen in profile, facing left. She is wearing her hair up and is wearing a white handkerchief and a pale blue dress. The miniature is in a circular black wooden frame.
Label TextWhile most miniature portraits are full-face or three-quarter views of their subjects, this miniature, which may depict Mary Hallam Saltonstall of New London, Connecticut, shows the sitter in profile, in a format similar to that of cut-paper silhouettes. This format is characteristic of portraits by the Way sisters of New London, and this portrait has been attributed to Betsy Way.
NotesDate Note: The style of clothing, life dates of sitter, and activity dates of artist suggest a date between 1815 and 1820 (Ozzone 4/19/2013)Subject Note:The subject was previously identified as either Sarah Hamlin Sage or her daughter Hannah Sage Saltonstall, but the miniature clearly represents a member of a subsequent generation, possibly Mary Hallam Saltonstall. (Ozzone 5/7/2013)
Status
Not on view
