ticketsMember | Make a donation
English

Elijah Boardman

Ralph Earl American
1789
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 703
Itinerant portrait painter Ralph Earl depicted the elegantly dressed dry-goods merchant Elijah Boardman (1760–1823) in his shop in New Milford, Connecticut. An unconventional setting for a full-length portrait, the work offered Boardman an opportunity to display his vast merchandise. An open door on the left reveals the shopkeeper’s textile inventory, including silks, wools, printed cottons, and linens—several of which he imported from India, China, and Europe through English ports. Although not pictured, Boardman also sold luxury goods from the Spanish West Indies, such as sugar, rum, molasses, and indigo, connecting the patrons of his Connecticut shop to the extensive networks of Atlantic trade.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Elijah Boardman
  • Artist: Ralph Earl (American, Worcester County, Massachusetts 1751–1801 Bolton, Connecticut)
  • Date: 1789
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 83 x 51 in. (210.8 x 129.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Susan W. Tyler, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.395
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

Audio

Cover Image for 4330. Elijah Boardman

4330. Elijah Boardman

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
The Hubbell Children
Ralph Earl
1788
Esther Boardman, Ralph Earl American, Oil on canvas, American
Esther Boardman
Ralph Earl
1789
Lady Williams and Child, Ralph Earl American, Oil on canvas, American
Lady Williams and Child
Ralph Earl
1783
Marinus Willett, Ralph Earl American, Oil on canvas, American
Marinus Willett
Ralph Earl
ca. 1791
Master Rees Goring Thomas, Ralph Earl American, Oil on canvas, American
Master Rees Goring Thomas
Ralph Earl
ca. 1783–84

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 29

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.