Micah Williams: Portrait Artist

April 11 — September 14, 2014

This exhibition presents an unmatched look at New Jersey’s itinerant portrait painter Micah Williams (1782–1837) and tells a story about the new America of the 19th century. This exhibition has been organized by Monmouth County Historical Association.

Traveling portrait artist and New Jersey resident Micah Williams (1782–1837) was a prolific artist who has 272 known existing works. Although his works are represented in major museums and highly sought after by folk art collectors, there has never been an exhibition dedicated solely to Micah Williams. Micah Williams: Portrait Artist, on loan to Morven from Monmouth County Historical Association, tells a story about the new America of the 19th century.

With over 40 portraits on view, visitors can come face-to-face with the state’s nineteenth-century farmers, orchard growers, militia officers, politicians, silversmiths, potters, carpenters, and their families.

The exhibition will also debut Morven’s newest acquisition: a pastel portrait of Commodore Robert Field Stockton (1795–1866) completed by Micah Williams around 1821. Stockton was a third-generation resident of Morven, head of the Pacific Fleet, and a U.S. Senator. With this exhibition, the portrait makes its return to the walls at Morven.