Artwork
Elizabeth Stevens Carle
Elizabeth Stevens Carle is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Joseph Wright of Derby. It dates from 1784 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
Its provenance traces from the sitter’s family in New Jersey through several inheritances to Frederick Titus Bechtel, then to his widow, and finally to M.
Joseph Wright executed the oil-on-canvas portrait of Elizabeth Stevens Carle in 1783. Following the sitter's death in 1790, the work remained within her extended Stevens family in New Jersey. It was inherited by her grandniece, Sarah Smith Phillips Stevens of Trenton, and subsequently passed to her nephew, James Francis Armstrong Phillips.
The painting later entered the collection of Frederick Titus Bechtel, and upon his death in 1948, it passed to his widow, Edna McNiece Bechtel. In August 1950, M. Knoedler & Co. of New York purchased the work from the Bechtel estate. The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., acquired the portrait in December 1950. It remained in that institution until 2015, when it was transferred to the National Gallery of Art.
The painting Elizabeth Stevens Carle (oil on canvas, 1783) is presently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its provenance traces from the sitter’s family in New Jersey through several inheritances to Frederick Titus Bechtel, then to his widow, and finally to M. Knoedler & Co., which sold it to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in December 1950; the Corcoran later transferred the work to the National Gallery of Art in 2015. No exhibition records are documented in the cited sources.
Legacy
Elizabeth Stevens Carle, a 1783 oil portrait by Joseph Wright, entered the National Gallery of Art collection in 2015 after a documented chain of inheritance and commercial transactions that began with the sitter’s family and passed through several New Jersey owners before its purchase by M. Knoedler & Co. in 1950 and subsequent acquisition by the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The work’s provenance, traced through inheritance to Sarah Smith Phillips Stevens and later to Frederick Titus Bechtel, illustrates a clear lineage recorded in curatorial files.
Overview
Joseph Wright's oil on canvas portrait, Elizabeth Stevens Carle, dates to approximately 1784. This painting depicts a woman seated, her figure illuminated against a dark setting. The work captures her in a moment of quiet contemplation, rendered with a soft light that emphasizes her presence and the details of her attire.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait features Elizabeth Stevens Carle positioned in a patterned brown chair. She wears a light blue dress with a low neckline, complemented by a matching shawl and an elaborate dark updo adorned with a feathered hat and pearls. Her hands are gently clasped in her lap, and her direct gaze and neutral expression convey a sense of calm and composure, contributing to the overall serene atmosphere of the depiction.
Technique & Style
Wright employed chiaroscuro to create a strong sense of depth and volume, making the figure emerge from the deep background. The artist's handling of light is notable for its soft, almost dreamy quality, characteristic of the Romantic aesthetic. This illumination highlights the sitter's features and the textures of her clothing, guiding the viewer's attention and enhancing the painting's quiet intensity.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Wright (3 September 1734 – 29 August 1797), styled Joseph Wright of Derby, was an English painter who specialised in portrait painting and landscape art.
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