Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1975.725.2 |
Object Name |
Silhouette |
Title |
Silhouette of Hannah Hiltzheimer |
Artist |
Unknown |
Date |
1780-89 |
Description |
Oval-framed, profile silhouette, facing her right. Subject wears her hair up, with a flower or ribbon at the top of her head, and a possible covering over her hair. Unsigned and undated. Maiden name, "Walker," is marked on paper backing. Pairs with husband, Jacob Hiltzheimer (1975.725.1). |
Label |
In 1802, artist Charles Willson Peale purchased a small machine for making silhouettes of his museum visitors. The "physiognotrace" outlined the shadow cast on a sheet of white paper by the sitter's head. The "profilist" cut along the outline and pasted the "hollow-cut" white sheet on a black background. Hannah Hiltzheimer and other Quakers, who generally scorned portraiture as a useless vanity, admired silhouettes for their simplicity and frugality. This silhouette was acquired as a pair with the silhouette of Hannah's husband, Jacob Hiltzheimer (1975.725.1). |
Medium |
Paper |
Dimensions |
H-5.25 W-3.625 inches |
Dimension Details |
Framed; oval |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
18th century eighteenth century women profile portrait Peale Museum |