Ebenezer Martin
ca. 1838
Medium
Painting-Miniature
Classification
Painting-Miniature
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Accession Number
1949.2.1
Tags
About this artwork
Ebenezer Martin (1791-1876) was a graduate of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University.
Art Historical Context
Henry Inman's *Ebenezer Martin* (ca. 1838) is a delicate miniature portrait capturing the likeness of Ebenezer Martin (1791–1876), a graduate of the College New Jersey—now Princeton University. Rendered as a bust-length study, this small-scale painting exemplifies the intimate artistry of 19th-century American portraiture, where miniatures served as cherished personal keepsakes, often worn as jewelry or displayed in private collections. Inman, a leading New York portraitist active in the 1820s–1840s, mastered the watercolor-on-ivory technique typical of miniatures, achieving luminous skin ton...
About the Artist
Henry Inman · 1801–1846
Comment on works: Portraits