Sara Peters Grozelier (1821–1907) was an American painter of

portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

s. Her name is sometimes given as Sarah. Little is known of Grozelier's life and career. She was born in

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, the youngest of the twelve children of John and Elizabeth Davis Peters; her elder sister was the miniaturist

Clarissa Peters Russell Clarissa Peters Russell (February 1, 1809 – August 12, 1854) was an American miniaturist. Her name is often given as Mrs. Moses B. Russell. A native of Andover, Massachusetts, Russell was one of twelve children; her younger sister, Sara Pete ...

, whose husband

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

was also a miniaturist. She graduated from Andover's Abbott Academy, where she learned painting and drawing, in 1836, and spent the next few years painting miniature portraits of prominent locals before moving to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

at the age of twenty-six. In 1855 she married the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

-born

Leopold Grozelier Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

, a portraitist and lithographer. In that year she showed three miniatures at the

Boston Athenaeum Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

. The following year she showed another, at the

Brooklyn Art Association Brooklyn () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county i ...

, under the sobriquet "Madam Grozelier". In 1866, after her husband's death, she was listed in the Boston directory; she was listed there again between 1877 and 1883. She also produced lithographs, and after her husband's death supported herself by painting over photographs in oil or pastel. At sixty-one she returned to

North Andover North Andover is an affluent town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 30,915. History Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European c ...

. The Grozeliers had no children. Grozelier and her husband are buried at the Ridgewood Cemetery in Andover. A portrait of two girls by her is in the collection of the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

; the date of the watercolor-on-ivory painting is unknown. A self-portrait, dated to between 1845 and 1855, is currently owned by the North Andover Historical Society.

References

1821 births 1907 deaths People from Andover, Massachusetts Painters from Boston American portrait miniaturists 19th-century American painters 19th-century American women artists 19th-century women painters {{US-painter-1820s-stub