Clarissa
Henry Williams, American, 1787 - 1830
about 1805-1810
Watercolor on ivory (miniature)
Overall: 4 × 3 in. (10.2 × 7.6 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of the Estate of Elizabeth Marsh
W.981.79
Geography
Place Made: United States, North America
Period
19th century
Object Name
Watercolor
Research Area
Watercolor
Not on view
Inscriptions
Signed (indistinctly), in background, above left shoulder: Williams. Hand-written note: Clarrissa, betrothed to Samuel Marsh, about 1820
Label
A barely discernible signature above the left shoulder confirms that Boston artist Henry Williams painted this miniature. In addition to miniatures, the versatile and enterprising Williams created a variety of work in different media, including easel paintings, profile portraits, engravings, and wax sculptures. Such a wide selection would presumably attract diverse clientele of varying tastes and means. An inscription on a slip of paper accompanying the work indicates that the sitter was "Clarissa," betrothed to Samuel Marsh.
From the 2019 exhibition American Art, Colonial to Modern, curated by Barbara J. MacAdam, Jonathan L. Cohen Curator of American Art
Course History
HIST 5.14, Americas: Invasion to Independence, Paul Musselwhite and Ernesto Mercadeo-Montero, Fall 2022
Exhibition History
American Art, Colonial to Modern, Israel Sack Gallery and Rush Family Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 20-October 2, 2020.
Marks of Distinction: Two Hundred Years of American Drawings and Watercolors from the Hood Museum of Art, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 29-May 29, 2005; Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 24-September 11, 2005; National Academy Museum, New York City, New York, October 20-December 31, 2005.
Publication History
Barbara J. MacAdam, Marks of Distinction, Two Hundred Years of American Drawings and Watercolors from the Hood Museum of Art, Manchester, Vermont: Hudson Hills Press, 2005, ill. p. 249.
Provenance
Estate of Elizabeth Marsh; transferred from Baker Library, Dartmouth College to present collection, 1981.
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