Artwork
Memorial to Peter Philip Walter
Memorial to Peter Philip Walter is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Samuel Folwell. It dates from 1802 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Samuel Folwell created *Memorial to Peter Philip Walter* in 1802, a watercolor on ivory contained within a rose gold locket. This miniature portrait, designed to be held or worn, served as a personal memento. The reverse of the locket features a compartment for a lock of hair, a common practice in commemorative art of the period, underscoring its intimate and sorrowful purpose.
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of a hair reserve transformed the locket into a deeply personal keepsake, allowing the wearer to keep a physical token of the deceased close.
The small painting portrays a woman dressed in black beside a boy in a red coat, their expressions conveying a quiet solemnity. This work exemplifies the tradition of American mourning art, which provided tangible expressions of grief and remembrance. The inclusion of a hair reserve transformed the locket into a deeply personal keepsake, allowing the wearer to keep a physical token of the deceased close.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor on a delicate ivory support, the miniature painting is encased within a rose gold locket. This choice of medium allowed for fine detail within a small format, suitable for personal adornment or private contemplation. The work aligns with American folk art traditions, characterized by its directness and focus on sentimental or commemorative themes rather than academic realism.
Context
Samuel Folwell was an American artist active during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, specializing in commemorative pieces. His practice frequently involved incorporating personal elements, such as locks of hair, into his mourning art. Beyond his artistic output, Folwell contributed to art education, notably co-founding an art school for girls in Philadelphia alongside his wife, Ann Elizabeth Gebler Folwell.
Legacy
Folwell's contributions to American art are recognized through the inclusion of his works in prominent collections. Institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of American Folk Art preserve examples of his miniatures and mourning pieces, reflecting his place within the artistic landscape of his era and the enduring appeal of these personal, commemorative objects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Samuel Folwell (1764–1813) was an American artist who worked in the 18th and 19th century.
