Artwork
Mrs. William Bingham (Anne Willing)
Mrs. William Bingham (Anne Willing) is a copper painting by the American Impressionist artist William Russell Birch. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents Anne Willing, the daughter of prominent Philadelphia merchant Thomas Willing and wife of merchant William Bingham, as the central figure.
The painting presents Anne Willing, the daughter of prominent Philadelphia merchant Thomas Willing and wife of merchant William Bingham, as the central figure. Rendered in enamel on copper in 1795 by William Russell Birch, the work is classified as a portrait and is housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a formal portrait, it conveys the sitter’s status within the early American elite, emphasizing her role as a socialite and member of a leading mercantile family.
The composition, typical of late‑18th‑century portraiture, underscores the subject’s respectability and the cultural aspirations of the young nation’s upper class.
Technique & Style
The portrait was executed in enamel on a copper support, a technique that yields a smooth, glossy surface and fine linear detail. Created in 1795, the work measures approximately 11 cm in height by 8.5 cm in width and is classified within The American Wing as a portrait. The medium allows subtle tonal modulation and a polished finish that emphasizes the sitter’s dignified bearing.
Stylistically, the composition presents a conventional, neoclassical rendering of a woman, with careful attention to facial features and attire rendered through the precise application of enamel. The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and is documented as a portrait depicting Anne Willing Bingham.
History & Provenance
Commissioned and executed in 1795, this enamel on copper portrait depicts Anne Willing, known as Mrs. William Bingham. The work was created by the artist William Russell Birch during the late eighteenth century. Measuring 11 by 8.5 inches, the piece is classified as a genre portrait.
The artwork currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing. While the specific circumstances of the original commission or intermediate ownership transfers are not detailed in the available records, the work's inception is firmly dated to 1795, and its status as a held object within a major public institution establishes its modern provenance.
The enamel portrait of Anne Willing by William Russell Birch is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, classified within The American Wing. According to Wikidata, the work is catalogued in the museum's holdings, with recorded dimensions of 11 inches in height and 8.5 inches in width. No specific accession number or detailed exhibition history is provided in the available sources.
Context
The portrait of Mrs. William Bingham, painted by William Russell Birch in 1795, exemplifies early American portraiture through its refined enamel-on-copper technique and dignified composition. As part of The American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work is frequently cited in scholarship that examines Birch’s role in shaping a nascent national visual language during the post‑Revolutionary period. Its inclusion in the museum’s collection underscores the cultural valuation of elite women’s representation and reflects the broader interest in preserving early American artistic heritage.
Overview
This enamel-on-copper portrait, created by English artist William Russell Birch in 1795, depicts Anne Willing Bingham, a prominent American socialite. The work exemplifies Birch's expertise in detailed miniature painting and the refined technique of enameling. Though small in scale, the piece captures a luminous image of its subject, reflecting the artist's established neoclassical approach to portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Russell Birch (9 April 1755 – 7 August 1834) was an English miniature painter, enameler, and landscape engraver and designer.
Mrs. Nathaniel Chapman (Rebekah Biddle)
Portrait of a Woman
Portret van een vrouw met een parelcollier
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of Mrs. Nathaniel West (Elizabeth Crowinshield Derby)
Portrait of Susan Coren Towers
Unknown woman
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman
Young Lady- Mrs. Richard Peters (Abigail Willing)