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Harriet Beecher Stowe

National Portrait Gallery

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Object Details

Artist
Alanson Fisher, 1807 - 1884
Sitter
Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe, 14 Jun 1811 - 1 Jul 1896
Exhibition Label
Born Litchfield, Connecticut
In response to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe began writing a novel intended to reveal slavery as “the essence of all abuse.” The result was Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly. The groundbreaking bestseller so altered attitudes toward slavery that it has been described as “one of the most successful feats of persuasion in American history.” First serialized in the National Era newspaper, Uncle Tom’s Cabin appeared in book form in 1852 and sold more than three hundred thousand copies during its first year in print. An international success, it contributed to the abolition of serfdom in Russia following publication there in 1857 and fueled Britain’s refusal to recognize the Confederacy during the Civil War.
In 1853, a Manhattan theater owner mounted a stage production of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Capitalizing on public fascination with Stowe, he commissioned this portrait for display in his theater.
Nacida en Litchfield, Connecticut
En reacción a la Ley de Esclavos Fugitivos de 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe empezó a escribir una novela para mostrar la esclavitud como “esencia de todo abuso”. El resultado fue La cabaña del tío Tom. Este revolucionario éxito de librería alteró de tal forma las actitudes hacia la esclavitud que se ha descrito como “una de las hazañas de persuasión más notables en la historia estadounidense”. Apareció primero serializada en el periódico National Era, y como libro en 1852, vendiendo más de 300,000 ejemplares en el primer año. Su fama fue mundial. Contribuyó a la abolición del vasallaje en Rusia tras publicarse allí en 1857 y fomentó que Gran Bretaña se negara a reconocer a la Confederación durante la Guerra Civil.
En 1853, el dueño de un teatro de Manhattan produjo una adaptación de la obra. Aprovechando la fascinación del público con Stowe, encargó este retrato para exhibirlo en el teatro.
Provenance
Alexander Purdy, National Theater, New York. George P. Howard, Marion, Mass.; purchased by NPG December 1967.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
1853
Object number
NPG.68.1
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 86.4 x 68.6 x 2.5cm (34 x 27 x 1")
Frame: 105.4 x 88.3 x 8.6cm (41 1/2 x 34 3/4 x 3 3/8")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
2022 Rehang of Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View
NPG, East Gallery 110a
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Interior
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair
Costume\Jewelry\Pin
Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe: Female
Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe: Literature\Writer\Novelist
Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Abolitionist
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.68.1
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm40f9e1a56-ce2a-431d-a3a9-b0446f3ac216

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