Phillis Wheatley
Wheatley was the first African American to have a volume of verse published. This portrait was possibly drawn in Boston by Moorhead, an enslaved artist who knew the poet, but engraved in London. One of Wheatley’s poems applauds King George III for supporting the repeal of the Stamp Act, then appeals for general emancipation. The author secured her freedom from slavery soon after the publication of her book, which was lauded by the likes of George Washington.
Artwork Details
- Title: Phillis Wheatley
- Artist: Attributed to Scipio Moorhead (American, active Boston, 1760–75)
- Publisher: Archibald Bell (British, active 1773)
- Sitter: Phillis Wheatley (American, Gambia, West Africa ca. 1753–1784 Massachusetts)
- Date: 1773
- Medium: Engraving
- Dimensions: Oval sheet (trimmed): 5 in. × 3 7/8 in. (12.7 × 9.8 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
- Object Number: 49.40.24
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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