Ralph Earl (American, 1751–1801)
Elijah Boardman, 1789
Oil on canvas; 83 x 51 in. (210.8 x 129.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Susan W. Tyler, 1979 (1979.395)
Curator Comment
Earl portrayed the richly dressed dry-goods merchant Elijah Boardman (1760–1823) in his store in New Milford, Connecticut. His right hand rests on a counting desk protected by green cloth secured with brass nails. The books on the shelves include the three-volume set of Dr. John Moore's Travels, two volumes of Shakespeare's plays, John Milton's Paradise Lost, a volume of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and the London Magazine for 1786. Through the open paneled door to the right, bolts of plain and patterned textiles, including one with a prominently displayed British tax stamp, invite inspection and tell the viewer how Boardman earned a living, just as the books in his desk and the letter in his hand speak of his learning and cultivation.
Carrie Rebora Barratt, curator, American Paintings and Sculpture, and Manager, The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art