Clarissa

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

History 5.14, Americas: From Invasion to Independence, Ernesto Mercado-Montero and Paul Musselwhite, Fall 2023

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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Subjects