Artwork
Mrs. Ethan Stone (Abigail Maria Storrs)
Mrs. Ethan Stone (Abigail Maria Storrs) is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist William Verstille. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Watercolor on ivory was a rich person’s keepsake in 1795, light enough to carry in a locket, but delicate enough to crack if you dropped it.
A woman in a dark dress looks straight at you, her hair piled high. Tiny pearls glint in her ears and at her throat. The whole picture is painted on a piece of ivory no bigger than a playing card.
Watercolor on ivory was a rich person’s keepsake in 1795, light enough to carry in a locket, but delicate enough to crack if you dropped it. Abigail Maria Storrs probably kept this one close, maybe tucked in a pocket or pinned inside a book.
If you like this quiet kind of portrait, look up the subject “portraits, women.”
Subject & Meaning
The watercolor miniature portrays Abigail Maria Storrs, identified by the title as Mrs. Ethan Stone. Executed in 1795 by William Verstille, the work belongs to the genre of portraiture and depicts a woman in a small-scale format rendered in watercolor on ivory, measuring approximately 5.6 by 4.4 inches. As a portrait miniature, the work functions as a personalized likeness intended to convey the identity and social standing of its female sitter, a common purpose for such keepsakes in the late eighteenth century.
The portrait genre itself, rather than any allegorical or narrative iconography, supplies the principal meaning of the piece, presenting the subject as an individuated woman rather than as an emblematic figure.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in watercolor on ivory, a delicate support that allowed Verstille to achieve fine, translucent washes typical of late‑18th‑century American miniature painting. The ivory substrate provides a smooth, luminous ground that enhances the medium’s subtle gradations of tone. While the sources do not detail the artist’s handling technique, the work’s date of 1795 situates it within the period when watercolor on ivory was favored for intimate portraiture. No information on the painting’s current condition or specific stylistic qualities is provided in the available sources.
Overview
William Verstille, a prominent American portraitist of the late 18th century, created this watercolor miniature of Abigail Maria Storrs, also known as Mrs. Ethan Stone, around 1795. This delicate work on ivory exemplifies the American folk art tradition and offers a glimpse into the personal keepsakes favored by affluent individuals of the era. Verstille was active in major East Coast cities, leaving a legacy of portraits now housed in significant museum collections.
Context
In 1795, watercolor miniatures on ivory served as cherished personal items, particularly among the wealthy. Their compact size made them ideal for carrying in lockets or tucking into personal effects, though their fragile nature required careful handling. Such portraits were more than mere images; they were tangible connections to loved ones, offering a private, portable form of remembrance and social display.
Legacy
William Verstille established himself as a sought-after portrait painter, working across significant American urban centers including Boston, Philadelphia, and New York during the late 1700s. His specialization in portraiture, particularly miniatures, contributed to his reputation. Today, examples of Verstille's work are preserved in numerous prominent museum collections throughout the United States, underscoring his contribution to early American art.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Verstille (c. 1757 – 1803) was an American artist who worked in Boston, Philadelphia and New York. He specialized in portraits. Examples of his artwork reside in the collections of the Harvard Art Museum,…
