Study for "Portrait of Esther Haydin" 1886

Robert William Vonnoh made this graphite study in preparation for his “Portrait of Esther Haydin.” The sketch gives us a glimpse into the world of commissioned portraiture at the turn of the twentieth century. Vonnoh, an American Impressionist, would have been working within a social milieu in which families of means sought to immortalize their loved ones. The image itself, with its soft lines and delicate shading, speaks to a particular aesthetic ideal, one shaped by the cultural values of the time. A small child is represented through soft focus which denotes the family's social standing and aesthetic preferences. To understand this work more fully, we might look to the artist's other portraits, the social history of portraiture, and the economic conditions that made such commissions possible. Through these avenues, we can understand the complex interplay between art, patronage, and social identity.