Alexander Henry Durdin 1807 - 1813

Benjamin Trott painted this miniature portrait of Alexander Henry Durdin with watercolor on ivory in the early 19th century. Portrait miniatures were popular keepsakes in America at this time, circulating through networks of family and friends. Consider the institutions that shaped this work. The Pennsylvania Academy, founded in 1805, legitimized painting as a profession. Trott began his career as a sign painter, but with the founding of institutions like the Academy, he gained access to instruction in painting and drawing. With a growing middle class in the new republic, artists like Trott found a market for their work in portraiture. These portraits are now themselves part of the collections of institutions like the Metropolitan Museum. The work of the historian helps us understand the place of the artist and their subjects in the society of their time. Resources like letters, account books, newspapers, and censuses can help flesh out our understanding of this historical moment.