Portrait of a Lady

Lawrence Kilburn (or Kilbrunn)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kilburn arrived in New York from London in 1754 and remained the unrivalled portraitist of choice in the city for nearly twenty years. As seen here, he pleased his clients by offering them inventive attributes—such as the compelling miniature portrait this young lady wears on her wrist—and traditional English-style portraits. He paid attention to detail, had skill in the rendering of fabric, and was able to capture a strong likeness, which was rare in colonial New York City.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art