Phillis Wheatley 1773

This engraving, created in 1773 by Scipio Moorhead, depicts Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved African American woman who became a celebrated poet in the 18th century. The portrait shows Wheatley seated at a desk, pen in hand, with a book and an inkwell before her. Her thoughtful expression and posture emphasize her intellectual abilities, challenging the prevailing societal views of enslaved people. The inscription around the oval frame identifies her as "Phillis Wheatley, Negro Servant to Mr. John Wheatley, of Boston," highlighting her status as an enslaved woman, but also her talent and the patronage of the Wheatley family. This artwork is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.