Miriam Etting Myers

About this artwork

Miriam Etting Meyers (Mrs. Jacob Meyers) was born in 1787 and died in 1808. Her father, Solomon Etting, whose portrait was also painted by Benjamin Trott, led the movement in Maryland’s statehouse for the “Jew Bill,” which permitted Jews in Maryland to hold public office without having to first renounce their faith. This miniature was first attributed to Edward Greene Malbone, a rival portraitist whose success Trott greatly envied. Malbone had approached Trott in 1809 in hopes that the two...

Art Historical Context

This delicate miniature portrait by Benjamin Trott captures Miriam Etting Myers (Mrs. Jacob Myers, 1787–1808) in a bust-length view, painted around 1805. Trott, a prominent early American miniaturist, specialized in these intimate, finely detailed works on ivory, which served as cherished personal mementos in an era before photography. Often worn as jewelry or kept in cases, miniatures like this exemplified the technical precision and emotional intimacy of the Federal period's portraiture. Miriam was the daughter of Solomon Etting, whose own Trott portrait hangs nearby. Solomon led the charge...