Edward Shippen

Art Historical Context

Behold the portrait print *Edward Shippen* by Enoch G. Gridley, created around 1801. This striking illustration captures the likeness of Edward Shippen, a prominent merchant of early American prominence. Gridley, active only from 1801 to 1818, was a skilled printmaker whose work helped preserve the faces of the nation's emerging elite during the young United States' formative years. As a print from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection—now housed in the National Portrait Gallery—this piece exemplifies the era's printmaking techniques, likely engraving, which allowed for affordable ...