Portrait of a lady, possibly Mrs. Timothy Shelley, Mother of Percy Byron Shelley 1800 - 1815

This wax portrait, created by Samuel Percy between 1800 and 1815, depicts a woman in profile, likely Mrs. Timothy Shelley, the mother of the famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. The piece is framed in gold, and is a prime example of the miniature portraiture popular during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The small size and intimate nature of the portrait reflect the personal and sentimental value of such works. Now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the piece offers a glimpse into the lives of a prominent family in the Romantic era.