id: 123417 accession number: 1943.648 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1943.648 updated: 2023-03-08 11:50:24.898000 Portrait of Anna Walmesley, 1795. Andrew Plimer (British, 1763–1837). 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 Cleveland Museum of Art, The Edward B. Greene Collection 1943.648 title: Portrait of Anna Walmesley title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1795 creation date earliest: 1795 creation date latest: 1795 current location: creditline: The Edward B. Greene Collection copyright: --- culture: England, 18th century technique: watercolor on ivory in a gold frame with hair reverse department: European Painting and Sculpture collection: P - British before 1800 type: Portrait Miniature find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Andrew Plimer (British, 1763–1837) - artist Born the 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 enamellist, Henry Bone, whereas 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 which leaves much of the bare ivory visible. He also employed Cosway's use of large, expressive eyes which made his miniatures appear soulfully elegant, earning him high praise amongst 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. --- measurements: 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.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Portraiture: The Image of the Individual opening date: 1983-11-22T05:00:00 Portraiture: The Image of the Individual. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 22, 1983-January 22, 1984). title: Intimate Images: Portrait Miniatures from Europe and America opening date: 1993-03-26T04:00:00 Intimate Images: Portrait Miniatures from Europe and America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-October 17, 1993). title: Disembodied: Portrait Minatures and their Contemporary Relatives opening date: 2013-11-10T00:00:00 Disembodied: Portrait Minatures and their Contemporary Relatives. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 10, 2013-February 16, 2014). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE Walmesley Family date: Before 1930 footnotes: citations: (Leo Schidlof, Paris, France, sold to Edward B. Greene). date: -1930 footnotes: citations: Edward B. Greene (1878-1957), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art date: 1930-1943 footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 1943- footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: 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. digital description: wall 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. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Cleveland Museum of Art. Portrait Miniatures: The Edward B. Greene Collection. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1951. page number: Reproduced: p. 29, no. 29, pl. XX url: https://archive.org/details/PortraitMiniatures/page/n67 Cleveland Museum of Art. Portraiture: The Image of the Individual. 1983. page number: gallery guide, listed url: 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. page number: p. 300 url: Korkow, Cory, and Dario Robleto. Disembodied: Portrait Miniatures and Their Contemporary Relatives. 2013. page number: url: Korkow, Cory, and Jon L. Seydl. British Portrait Miniatures: The Cleveland Museum of Art. 2013. page number: Cat. no. 56, pp. 224-225 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1943.648/1943.648_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1943.648/1943.648_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1943.648/1943.648_full.tif