Elijah Boardman 1787 - 1790

This is a portrait miniature of Elijah Boardman, painted in the late 18th century by John Ramage. It’s made with watercolor on ivory, a popular choice for portable likenesses at the time. Portrait miniatures were more than just keepsakes; they were potent symbols of social standing. Notice Boardman's powdered wig, his carefully knotted cravat, and his tailored coat. All these details speak volumes about his status as a man of wealth and standing in the early American republic. Ramage, the artist, was an interesting figure himself, a New Yorker, born in Dublin, who had also served as a soldier. Studying his life and career, alongside Boardman’s, gives us insight into the social networks and economic structures that supported the arts in this period. Probate inventories, merchants’ papers, and genealogical records – these are just some of the resources that help us understand the world in which this image was made and viewed. Art lives in society.