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Source Description
The sitter’s identity is unknown, but she was likely a student of Martha Baker, who was living and teaching in Paris in 1899. Demand for Baker’s portrait miniatures was so great that she resigned from teaching to keep up with commissions. The artist’s obituary in the <em>New York Times</em> stated that she was “the world’s foremost miniature painter.” In this example, the sitter’s shoulders seem to fade into the pale background, emphasizing the similarity between her skin and the material upon which her likeness is painted.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
94633
label
An Art Student of Paris
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
94633
contentType
object
title
An Art Student of Paris
description
The sitter’s identity is unknown, but she was likely a student of Martha Baker, who was living and teaching in Paris in 1899. Demand for Baker’s portrait miniatures was so great that she resigned from teaching to keep up with commissions. The artist’s obituary in the <em>New York Times</em> stated that she was “the world’s foremost miniature painter.” In this example, the sitter’s shoulders seem to fade into the pale background, emphasizing the similarity between her skin and the material upon which her likeness is painted.
date
1899
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79475067
creators
3664
genreSpecific
Portrait Miniature
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Framed: 5.2 x 4.6 cm (2 1/16 x 1 13/16 in.); Unframed: 4.9 x 4.1 cm (1 15/16 x 1 5/8 in.)
cul
America
accession
1915.141
Source extras
tec
watercolor on ivorine
tombstone
An Art Student of Paris, 1899. Martha S. Baker (American, 1871–1911). Watercolor on ivorine; framed: 5.2 x 4.6 cm (2 1/16 x 1 13/16 in.); unframed: 4.9 x 4.1 cm (1 15/16 x 1 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Baker, 1915.141
collection
American - Painting
inscriptions
inscription
signed lower center: Martha S. Baker / 1899 [signed on backing: An Art Student of Paris / Martha S. Baker]
didYouKnow
While portrait miniatures were usually executed on ivory, this example is painted on “ivorine,” an early plastic.
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Baker
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:01:57.745000
sourceId
94633
dept
American Painting and Sculpture
coll
American - Painting
med
watercolor on ivorine
creatorTags
female
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0d7e23589aedb442