Eliphalet Pearson (1752-1826), after Samuel F.B. Morse after 1817

Editor: Here we have James Frothingham's portrait of Eliphalet Pearson, after Samuel F.B. Morse. It's a fairly straightforward likeness, but I'm curious about the materials themselves. What can you tell me about how materiality speaks to the context of this work? Curator: Consider the process. This is a copy, right? It speaks to a certain mode of artistic production and consumption. The artist is essentially a skilled laborer, reproducing an image for a specific purpose. Who was the patron? What was their relationship to both Pearson and Morse? This repetition reveals fascinating details about value, labor, and even social networks during this period. Editor: That makes me think about the commodification of portraiture. Thank you. Curator: And consider its lasting impact. What do copies tell us about the original?