Elizabeth Green (Mrs. Ebenezer Storer II) 1764 - 1770

John Singleton Copley captured Elizabeth Green, Mrs. Ebenezer Storer II, with oil on canvas. Copley, painting in pre-revolutionary Boston, made his name portraying the city's mercantile elite. His portraits offer a window into the lives of colonial Americans, reflecting their aspirations, social status, and the complex relationship with their British identity. In this work we confront not just an individual, but a representation of colonial womanhood. Notice the dress, the lace, and the pearl ornamentation, all signifiers of wealth and status. The gaze is direct, yet reserved, embodying the decorum expected of women in that era. But, it is worth asking, what is not shown? What stories remain untold? The lives of enslaved people who generated the wealth that afforded the sitter’s finery are noticeably absent. Consider this painting as an artifact of its time, one that invites us to reflect on the silences and omissions of history, as well as the stories it chooses to tell.