Collections record Beta

Portrait Miniature - Alexander Hamilton

2022-44-1

Watercolor on ivory portrait miniature of Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804). Head-and-shoulders portrait of Hamilton wearing a grey jacket with white cravat. Facing left, with blue eyes and powered hair. Set against a dark grey and blue background. Paper backing on ivory miniature with handwritten inscription, "A. Hamilton/copied & reduced/from Trumbull's/painting by Mrs./L.W. Gibbs/G.G." Miniature is framed in a reproduction, gold metal locket, under glass. Locket reverse has a second piece of glass to allow for viewing of the inscription on the ivory reverse.

Laura, daughter of Oliver Wolcott Jr., attended the Litchfield Female Academy in 1809. One of her letters documents that she received further formal art education (“drawing” and “crayons”) from a French instructor who is known to have painted miniatures. There is also evidence that Laura completed a portrait(s) of her grandfather, Oliver Wolcott; and possibly portraits of her aunt and uncle. Though she may have met Hamilton as a child (he died in 1804, when she was 10), Laura likely referenced a portrait of Hamilton by Jonathan Trumbull (c.1792) when painting the miniature. Letters from her father indicate that the family owned portraits of Hamilton and other leading figures of the time. The inventory of his estate lists multiple Trumbull originals, including one of Hamilton. The inscription on the back was written by Laura's husband, George Gibbs. The miniature descended in the family to the donor.

The miniature is believed to be the source material for a well-circulated engraving of Hamilton, first engraved by Jackman and later by Hall. The engravings are marked “L.W. Gibbs pinx” (meaning “painted by”). It is common for engravings to include only the abbreviated name of the original artist. While Society staff had seen the Hamilton engraving before, no source ever listed the full name of the artist. Thus, Laura’s identity as the original painter, and as a female artist, were completely obscured within the engraving.

• Gibbs, Laura Wolcott (1794-1870)

1820-1840

Miniature length 2.75", width 2.25"; locket length 4", width 2.75"

• watercolor
• ivory