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Portrait of John A. Willink
Accession # 51.115
Artist Unknown
Title Portrait of John A. Willink
Date early 19th century
Medium Watercolor on ivory portrait in metal frame under glass lens
Dimensions Image (sight): 4 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (10.8 x 8.3 cm) Frame: 5 1/2 x 4 5/8 in. (14 x 11.7 cm)
Signed Unsigned
Credit Line Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Davenport
Location Visible Storage: Case 47, Drawer A

Curatorial Remarks: Using the standard technique of the miniaturist, the talented artist of this portrait captured both the subject’s distinctive appearance and self-assured demeanor with short, stippled strokes of watercolor applied with fine paintbrushes. A tiny dot of white paint in the pupil of each eye adds a spark of animation. Identified only by name, this sitter might be John Abraham Willink (1780/81–1852), a prominent New York businessman of Dutch descent who had a home in Flatbush, Brooklyn.