Unidentified woman's portrait

ca. 1790–1800

Not on view

Enameled objects like this one were intended to imitate the lustrous quality of porcelain at more affordable prices. By the middle of the eighteenth century, technological innovations had made it possible to roll copper, instead of the far costlier gold, into very thin sheets. Powdered glass mixed with minerals (to determine the opacity and color of the enamel) would then be applied onto the copper sheets and fired at high temperatures. A design—whether a famous portrait, generic pastoral scene, or floral motif— could be painted on by hand or copied from an engraving through the newly invented process of transfer printing. Many enameled objects combined both methods of decoration and would be refired after the application of each new layer or color.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Unidentified woman's portrait
Date: ca. 1790–1800
Culture: British, possibly South Staffordshire
Medium: Enamel on copper
Dimensions: Diam. 2-3/4 in. (7.0 cm.)
Classification: Enamels-Painted
Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Object Number: 64.101.855
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Banner, Silk, polychromy, British — Banner
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Empress Eugenie (1826–1920), Marie-Pauline Laurent French, Painted enamel on copper; gesso and gilt-wood frame, French, Sèvres — Empress Eugenie (1826–1920)
Marie-Pauline Laurent
1855

Harp Lute, Edward Light British, wood, various materials, British — Harp Lute
Edward Light
ca. 1800

George William Frederick, Prince of Wales (later King George III), Simon Francis Ravenet, the elder French, Enamel on copper, transfer printed, British, Battersea — George William Frederick, Prince of Wales (later King George III)
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1753–56

Portable Harp, Wood, various materials, British — Portable Harp
British
18th century

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