William Hartshorne

Periodca. 1770 - 1780

MediumWatercolor on ivory in gold, colorless glass, human hair

DimensionsImage: 1.88 × 1.25 in. (4.8 × 3.2 cm)

InscribedOn the back of the miniature locket beneath the glass bezel is the monogram "WH."

ClassificationsPortrait Miniatures & Silhouettes

Credit LineGift of Mary Minturn Adams in memory of her Hartshorne Ancestors, 2018

Object number2018.10.2

DescriptionA small miniature portrait of William Hartshorne depicting the sitter in watercolor on ivory. William is shown in 3/4 view facing left, with brown eyes beneath dark brows. William wears a powdered gray wig, close fitting, and a dark royal blue coat. His elaborate ruffled shirt front is edged with lace and a white waistcoat. The backdrop shades from dark sepia-brown to a pale brownish gray. The rose gold locket includes bright cut borders on the front and a small flat tab loop on top for a hanging chain. On the back of the locket, a second glass bezel covers a plait of William's dark brown hair. Atop the hair is a delicate monogram "WH" in fine gold held in place by fine thread.
Curatorial RemarksWilliam's miniature portrait, depicting the sitter in elegant garb and powdered hair, is set in a fine frame. On the back, under glass, is a panel of plaited brown hair, giving an indication of William's true hair color beneath the powdered curls. The miniature may have been a wedding present to his wife Sarah Lawrence. The Historical Association also has a miniature portrait of Sarah Lawrence Hartshorne (please see accession number 2018.10.3.) The miniatures were painted by two different artists and are different sizes, with William's being the larger of the two.NotesLong believed to represent William Hartshorne II, this miniature can be dated more precisely to the 1770s by the powdered wig and clothing style of the subject. It has woven hair work on the reverse and the entwined monogram “WH.” The miniature probably represents his grandson William, whose papers survive in large quantity in the Hartshorne Family Papers. William Hartshorne was born on 17 September 1748 to Robert Hartshorne (1721 - 1805) and Sarah Saltar. On 14 December 1797, at the age of 49, he married Sarah Lawrence, daughter of Richard Lawrence and Alice Bunting. During the 1770s, William lived in Edenton, NC, where he was a merchant trading in the South and the Caribbean on the Brig Katy. He was also a partner in the New York merchant house of Bowne and Hartshorne. During the American Revolution, William spent much of his time at the Portland estate with his father's family. By the late 18th century, he and his family had settled in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, where he served as an estate executor or administrator to several members of the Corlies family. He appears as one of the executors in the 1815 will of his father-in-law Richard Lawrence. William's whereabouts after 1815 are unknown.

Collections