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William Page and Page Family papers, 1815-1947, bulk 1843-1892

Creator:
Page, William, 1811-1885  Search this
Subject:
Page, William  Search this
Page, Sophia Stevens  Search this
Olmstead, Mary  Search this
Olmstead, Bertha  Search this
O'Donovan, William Rudolph  Search this
Lowell, James Russell  Search this
Hicks, Thomas  Search this
Fenton, Rueben  Search this
Cushman, Charlotte  Search this
Curtis, George William  Search this
Briggs, Charles F. (Charles Frederick)  Search this
Beecher, Thomas Kinnicut  Search this
Tilton, Theodore  Search this
Wilmarth, Lemuel Everett  Search this
Stark, William  Search this
Sumner, Charles  Search this
Scranton, William Walker  Search this
Shaw, Francis George  Search this
Beecher, Henry Ward  Search this
Phillips, Wendell  Search this
Garrison, William Lloyd  Search this
Perry, E. W. (Enoch Wood)  Search this
National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Sketches
Poems
Drawings
Diaries
Citation:
William Page and Page Family papers, 1815-1947, bulk 1843-1892. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painting -- 19th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8925
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211111
AAA_collcode_pagewill
Theme:
Diaries
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211111
Online Media:

General Winfield Scott

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Winfield Scott, 13 Jun 1786 - 29 May 1866  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
152.4cm x 101.6cm (60" x 40"), Accurate
No frame
Type:
Painting
Date:
c. 1865
Topic:
Winfield Scott: Male  Search this
Winfield Scott: Literature\Writer  Search this
Winfield Scott: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate  Search this
Winfield Scott: Politics and Government\Public official  Search this
Winfield Scott: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General  Search this
Winfield Scott: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\War of 1812  Search this
Winfield Scott: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Mexican War  Search this
Winfield Scott: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the National Museum of American History; gift of the Grant-Vanderbilt Collection, 1887
Object number:
S/NPG.69.44
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm43b94db24-c390-49b1-ac69-4968b7440e7b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_S_NPG.69.44

William Page Self-Portrait

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
63.5cm x 58cm (25" x 22 13/16"), Accurate
Type:
Painting
Date:
1830
Topic:
Self-portrait  Search this
William Page: Male  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.77.236
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm48e46c7a4-e2f9-4a0b-a00c-e4a30c092976
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.77.236

William Page

Attribution:
Mathew Brady Studio, active 1844 - 1894  Search this
Sitter:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Medium:
Glass plate collodion negative
Dimensions:
Plate: 9.3 × 5.9 × 0.3 cm (3 11/16 × 2 5/16 × 1/8")
Type:
Photographic Negative
Date:
c. 1860-70
Topic:
Costume\Jewelry  Search this
Interior  Search this
Costume\Jewelry\Chain  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie  Search this
William Page: Male  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Frederick Hill Meserve Collection
Object number:
NPG.81.M1272
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm46dc9b444-2b19-4bed-8de4-ac3452fab8a1
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.81.M1272

Artist Souvenir

Artist:
Mathew Brady Studio, active 1844 - 1894  Search this
Sitter:
Rembrandt Peale, 22 Feb 1778 - 3 Oct 1860  Search this
Charles Loring Elliott, 12 Oct 1812 - 25 Aug 1868  Search this
William Sidney Mount, 26 Nov 1807 - 19 Nov 1868  Search this
Felix Octavius Carr Darley, 23 Jun 1822 - 27 Mar 1888  Search this
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Henry Peters Gray, 23 Jun 1819 - 12 Nov 1877  Search this
Régis François Gignoux, 1816 - 6 Aug 1882  Search this
Frederic Edwin Church, 4 May 1826 - 7 Apr 1900  Search this
Medium:
Albumen silver print
Dimensions:
Image/Mount: 51.8cm x 41.8cm (20 3/8" x 16 7/16")
Type:
Photograph
Date:
c. 1864
Topic:
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair  Search this
Collage  Search this
William Sidney Mount: Male  Search this
William Sidney Mount: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
William Sidney Mount: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\Genre painter  Search this
William Sidney Mount: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\Landscape painter  Search this
William Sidney Mount: Visual Arts\Artist\Still life artist  Search this
Frederic Edwin Church: Male  Search this
Frederic Edwin Church: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\Landscape painter  Search this
Charles Loring Elliott: Male  Search this
Charles Loring Elliott: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
Charles Loring Elliott: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
Felix Octavius Carr Darley: Male  Search this
Felix Octavius Carr Darley: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
Felix Octavius Carr Darley: Visual Arts\Artist\Illustrator  Search this
Régis François Gignoux: Male  Search this
Régis François Gignoux: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\Landscape painter  Search this
Henry Peters Gray: Male  Search this
Henry Peters Gray: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
Rembrandt Peale: Male  Search this
Rembrandt Peale: Literature\Writer\Scientific writer  Search this
Rembrandt Peale: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
Rembrandt Peale: Science and Technology\Scientist\Naturalist  Search this
Rembrandt Peale: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\History painter  Search this
William Page: Male  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.95.80
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4e791ff57-02d1-41c1-bf41-16caff219830
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.95.80

William Page

Artist:
Napoleon Sarony, 9 Mar 1821 - 9 Nov 1896  Search this
Sitter:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Medium:
Albumen silver print
Dimensions:
Image/Sheet: 9.4 x 5.8 cm (3 11/16 x 2 5/16")
Mount: 10.5 x 6.4 cm (4 1/8 x 2 1/2")
Type:
Photograph
Place:
United States\New York
Date:
c. 1865
Topic:
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Photographic format\Carte-de-visite  Search this
William Page: Male  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Larry J. West
Object number:
S/NPG.2007.144
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm41ee68b82-5a60-45e2-a1b9-b633b7d8d6ef
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_S_NPG.2007.144

Portrait of a Young Girl

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Possibly:
Mary Page, 1836 - ?  Search this
Annie Page, 1834 - ?  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
35.6 x 30.5 cm (14 x 12" ) oval
Type:
Painting
Date:
c. 1840
Topic:
Annie Page: Female  Search this
Mary Page: Female  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Object number:
25.85.1 MMA
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm49c4edab7-fd9e-4660-809f-d6c6a8de358f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_25.85.1_MMA

William Page Self-Portrait

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Sight: 149 x 90.5cm (58 11/16 x 35 5/8")
DIA Web site: 59 x 36 in. (149.9 x 91.4 cm), Framed: 67 3/8 x 44 x 4 1/4 in. ( 170.8 x 111.8 x 10.8 cm)
Type:
Painting
Place:
Italia\Lazio\Roma\Rome
Date:
1860/1861
Topic:
Artwork\Sculpture  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this
Costume\Jewelry\Chain  Search this
Interior\Studio  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses\Pince-nez  Search this
Art implements\Palette  Search this
Art implements\Paintbrush  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Art implements\Maulstick  Search this
Self-portrait  Search this
William Page: Male  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
William Page: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Detroit Institute of Arts
Object number:
37.60 DIA
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm419464cd5-43f6-4238-854d-23ff75d45c9d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_37.60_DIA

Joseph Story

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Joseph Story, 18 Sep 1779 - 10 Sep 1845  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
84.5cm x 66.6cm (33 1/4" x 26 1/4"), Sight
Type:
Painting
Date:
c. 1846
Topic:
Joseph Story: Male  Search this
Joseph Story: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Massachusetts  Search this
Joseph Story: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor\University  Search this
Joseph Story: Law and Crime\Judge\Justice\US Supreme Court Justice  Search this
Joseph Story: Business and Finance\Banking and Finance\Banker  Search this
Joseph Story: Politics and Government\State Legislator\Massachusetts  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Harvard Law School
Object number:
H162 (180)
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4573a9dba-5d61-43ad-9a95-7dbeb1259570
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_H162__180_

Charlotte Cushman

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Charlotte Saunders Cushman, 23 Jul 1816 - 17 Feb 1876  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Stretcher: 71.1 x 56.8 x 3.8cm (28 x 22 3/8 x 1 1/2")
Frame: 95.9 x 81.3 x 12.1cm (37 3/4 x 32 x 4 3/4")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1853
Topic:
Interior  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Bench  Search this
Charlotte Saunders Cushman: Female  Search this
Charlotte Saunders Cushman: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Stage actor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.72.15
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 124
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm40284738c-8549-400f-a1d5-427417ccfa35
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.72.15

Reuben E. Fenton

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Reuben Eaton Fenton, 04 Jul 1819 - 25 Aug 1885  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
252.7 × 167.6cm (99 1/2 × 66")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1870
Topic:
Printed Material\Book  Search this
Printed Material\Document  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair\Armchair  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Desk  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Carpet  Search this
Equipment\Drafting & Writing Implements\Writing implement\Pen\Quill  Search this
Equipment\Drafting & Writing Implements\Inkstand  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie  Search this
Interior\Domestic\Study  Search this
Reuben Eaton Fenton: Male  Search this
Reuben Eaton Fenton: Politics and Government\US Senator\New York  Search this
Reuben Eaton Fenton: Business and Finance\Banking and Finance\Banker  Search this
Reuben Eaton Fenton: Politics and Government\Governor\New York  Search this
Reuben Eaton Fenton: Politics and Government\US Congressman\New York  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Public Design Commission of the City of New York
Object number:
NY850028
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm45f7849cd-3562-471d-98e8-6dec3675d792
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NY850028

William Learned Marcy

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
William Learned Marcy, 12 Dec 1786 - 4 Jul 1857  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
278.1 × 185.4cm (109 1/2 × 73")
Type:
Painting
Place:
United States\New York\New York
Date:
1839
Topic:
Printed Material\Book  Search this
Printed Material\Document  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Table  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair\Armchair  Search this
Architecture\Column  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Male  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Politics and Government\US Senator\New York  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Law and Crime\Lawyer  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of War  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Teacher  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Politics and Government\Governor\New York  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of State  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Law and Crime\Judge\Justice\State Supreme Court Justice\New York  Search this
William Learned Marcy: Business and Finance\Banking and Finance\Accountant\Comptroller  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Public Design Commission of the City of New York
Object number:
NY850058
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4938c00e6-d93b-4814-b029-da0a287d099d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NY850058

Charles William Eliot

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Charles William Eliot, 20 Mar 1834 - 22 Aug 1926  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
132.1cm x 88.4cm (52" x 34 13/16"), Sight
Type:
Painting
Date:
c. 1853
Topic:
Charles William Eliot: Male  Search this
Charles William Eliot: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor\University  Search this
Charles William Eliot: Education and Scholarship\Administrator\University administrator\University president  Search this
Charles William Eliot: Literature\Writer\Magazine article writer  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Harvard University Portrait Collection
Object number:
H86
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4351bc591-76c0-44a8-8d1a-c6dff097038d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_H86

William Page and Page Family papers

Creator:
Page, William, 1811-1885  Search this
Names:
National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this
Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1887  Search this
Beecher, Thomas Kinnicut, 1824-1900  Search this
Briggs, Charles F. (Charles Frederick), 1804-1877  Search this
Curtis, George William, 1824-1892  Search this
Cushman, Charlotte, 1816-1876  Search this
Fenton, Rueben  Search this
Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879  Search this
Hicks, Thomas, 1823-1890  Search this
Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891  Search this
O'Donovan, William Rudolph, 1844-1920  Search this
Olmstead, Bertha  Search this
Olmstead, Mary  Search this
Page, Sophia Stevens, 1827-1892  Search this
Page, William, 1811-1885  Search this
Perry, E. W. (Enoch Wood), 1831-1915  Search this
Phillips, Wendell, 1811-1884  Search this
Scranton, William Walker  Search this
Shaw, Francis George, 1809-1882  Search this
Stark, William, 1825-1873  Search this
Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874  Search this
Tilton, Theodore, 1835-1907  Search this
Wilmarth, Lemuel Everett, 1835-1918  Search this
Extent:
11.06 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sketches
Poems
Drawings
Diaries
Date:
1815-1947
bulk 1843-1892
Summary:
The papers of the portraitist and art theorist William Page and the Page family measure 11.06 linear feet and date from 1815 to 1947, bulk 1843-1892. In addition to the papers of William Page, the papers include documents related to Page's wife's career as a writer and records documenting their personal lives and the lives of their family members. Types of documents found include personal documents and artifacts, correspondence, essays, lectures, diaries, poems, notes and notebooks, financial records, legal records, published works, clippings, catalogs, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of the painter William Page and the Page family measure 11.06 linear feet and date from 1815 to 1947, with the bulk of papers dating from 1843 to 1892. Papers contain records related to the life and career of William Page, president of the National Academy of Design from 1871 to 1873 and prominent portraitist and art theorist of his day. Also found are records related to his wife's career as a writer and records documenting their personal lives and the lives of their family members. Types of documents found include personal documents and artifacts, correspondence, essays, lectures, diaries, poems, notes and notebooks, financial records, legal records, published works, clippings, catalogs, photographs, and artwork.

Correspondence includes the personal and professional correspondence of William and Sophia Page, and their parents, siblings, and children. Significant correspondents include Thomas Hicks, Enoch Wood Perry, William Stark, Theodore Tilton, Lemuel Wilmarth, Wendell Phillips, William Walker Scranton, Francis G. Shaw; James Russell Lowell, Charles Frederick Briggs, George W. Curtis, Charlotte Cushman, Thomas K. Beecher, Mary Olmsted, and Bertha Olmsted.

Writings include the essays and lectures of William Page, as written by him and revised by Sophia Page in the late 1870s, as well as Sophia's writings as a columnist in Europe in the 1850s. Notes, notebooks, diaries, and poems are also found. Personal Business Records include business records related to the sale and exhibition of artwork as well as financial and legal documents. A small number of memoranda and documents related to Page's work at the National Academy of Design are also found. Printed Materials include exhibition catalogs, published works by William and Sophia Page, and clippings and articles about Page.

Photographs consist mainly of portraits, most of them mounted cabinet photographs or cartes-des-visites, some of which appear to have been used as studies for Page's painted portraits. Among those pictured are William Page, James Russell Lowell, Henry Ward Beecher, Reuben Fenton, Wendell Phillips, Charles Sumner, William R. O'Donovan, and William Lloyd Garrison. Many of the photographic portraits are unidentified. Artwork includes sketches, drawings, prints, and a small number of notes made by Page in the course of painting portraits.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 7 series. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials and Artifacts, 1847-1917 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1815-1942 (Boxes 1-4, 9-10; 3.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Notes and Writings, 1839-1888, 1949 (Boxes 4-5, OV 10; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1848-1932 (Boxes 5 and 9; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Materials, 1845-1938 (Boxes 5-7, 9, OV 11; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1845-1947 (Boxes 7-9, OV 12, MGP 5-6; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, 1856-1874 (Box 8, OV 13-16, rolled documents 17-19; 0.6 linear feet and 3 rolled documents)
Biographical Note:
The painter William Page was born in 1811 in Albany, NY. He attended public schools in New York City, and after working briefly in the law firm of Frederick de Peyster, was placed in the studio of the painter/engraver James Herring in 1825, where he received his first formal art training. He took classes at the National Academy of Design the year it was formed, in 1826, under Samuel F.B. Morse, and in 1827 he was awarded one of the National Academy's first annual student prizes.

Page joined the Presbyterian church and attended Phillips Academy and Amherst with the intention of becoming a minister, but his artistic ability won out, and by 1830 he was painting commissioned portraits in Albany, Rochester, and New York. He married Lavinia Twibill in 1833, and they had three daughters between 1834 and 1839. He joined the American Academy and served on its board of directors in 1835. He exhibited at the American Academy, the National Academy of Design, the Boston Athenaeum, and other venues throughout the 1830s. Favorable reviews brought steady portrait commissions, including John Quincy Adams and the New York governor William L. Marcy. He was made a full member of the National Academy in 1837.

In the 1840s, Page's reputation and maturity as a painter grew. His first wife left him around 1840, and in 1843 he married Sarah Dougherty. The couple moved to Albany, Boston, and back to New York seeking portrait commissions and patronage. He became friends with the poet James Russell Lowell and the writer and publisher Charles Frederick Briggs, two writers and editors who helped to promote his artwork in Boston and New York and published his theoretical writings. In 1844, Lowell dedicated his first published book of poetry to Page, and the following year, Briggs published a series of articles by Page in the Broadway Journal, entitled "The Art of the Use of Color in Imitation in Painting." The series described Page's arduous experiments with color and glazes, and his ideas about correspondences between spirituality and the natural world as expressed in art.

In 1850, Page traveled to Florence, Italy, where he painted several copies of the works of Titian in the galleries of the Uffizi and Pitti palaces, studying his use of color and further developing his own experimental techniques. He became friends with the sculptor Hiram Powers, who introduced him to the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg, a Christian metaphysician whose ideas fueled Page's interest in the spiritual aspects of art. In 1852, Page moved to Rome, a city with an international artists' community and a strong market for art. Page found a loyal following in Rome's large circle of American ex-patriates, including the sculptors Thomas Crawford and Harriet Hosmer, the actress Charlotte Cushman, and the poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, all of whom sat for portraits by Page.

In 1854, Page's second wife left him amidst public scandal, and he sank deep in debt to his bankers at Packenham and Hooker, an English firm that by 1856 had a lien on all the paintings in his studio. That same year Page met Sophia Stevens Hitchcock, an American widow traveling in Rome with Bertha Olmsted, Frederick Law Olmsted's sister. Hitchcock was from Barnet, Vermont and came to Europe after her first husband died in 1852 after only a year of marriage. She traveled to England and Paris, where she wrote regular columns on local customs and events for the New York Tribune that were published under the by-line "An American Woman in Paris." She and Page met in Rome in 1856, and in October 1857, after Page traveled back the United States to obtain a divorce from Sarah Dougherty, he and Sophia married.

The couple stayed in Rome until 1860. His wife's three brothers, all businessmen, helped to promote his artwork in Europe and America. Page's paintings of this period include several Venus subjects, one of which was championed by his most loyal patrons, who raised $3000 by subscription to buy the painting for the Boston Athenaeum. A later Venus painting was rejected from the Paris salon for indecency, a controversy that was later leveraged for publicity in a touring exhibition in the United States.

The Pages returned to the United States in 1860 and settled in Tottenville, New York. They had six children between 1858 and 1870. Page had a studio at Eagleswood, NJ, and later in the Studio Building on 10th Street in Manhattan, where he held a large exhibition in 1867. In the 1860s, he painted a self-portrait and a companion portrait of Sophia set in Rome, as well as a series of civil war heroes including Robert Gould Shaw, Winfield Scott, and David Farragut. Photographs played a consistent part in Page's technique of portraiture, and he is known to have worked with the photographer Matthew Brady, who attended art classes early on with Page, as well as the photographers Sarony and Charles Williamson, who taught classes on drawing from enlarged photo-transparencies. Brady photographs taken for Page include David Farragut and Reuben Fenton.

Page lectured frequently on Titian and Venetian art, a subject in which he was considered an expert, and on painting technique and his philosophical ideas about nature, art, and spirituality. In 1871, Page was elected the president of the National Academy of Design, a post he held until 1873, but his poor health following a collapse in 1872 limited his accomplishments in office. Despite these limitations, he continued to paint, including portraits of General Grant, an idealized portrait of the president based on early photographs and Charles Sumner. He also became interested in portraiture of William Shakespeare around this time, and his studies resulted in a book, Shakespeare's Portraits, a bust based on existing portraiture, and a full-length portrait entitled "Shakespeare Reading," based on Page's measurements of a supposed death mask in Darmstadt, Germany, which he went to inspect against the advice of his doctor in 1874.

In 1877, another collapse left Page incapacitated for the remainder of his life. Sophia Page tried editing and publishing his writings and lectures, but with little success. Page died in 1885. A life marked by personal scandal ended the same, when two of his daughters from his first marriage contested his will, tying up his estate in a lengthy and public probate trial. Their suit was dismissed in 1889, and Sophia Page died in 1892.

This biography relies heavily on Joshua Taylor's William Page: The American Titian (1957).
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds materials lent for microfilming (reel 1091) including letters from Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, Lydia Maria Child, Charlotte Cushman, James Russell Lowell, Charles A. Dana, and others. Lent material was returned to the donor and is This material is not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
A portion of the collection was donated to the Archives of American Art by Mrs. Lesslie S. (Pauline Page) Howell, William Page's grandaughter, in 1963. William S. Page, Pauline Page Howell's nephew, donated additional papers in 1964 and 1973. Pauline Page Howell and William S. Page also loaned a group of letters to the Archives in 1964 which were microfilmed on reel 1091 and then returned to the donors. Mrs. Howell's son, William Page Howell, donated material in 1980.

Letters of Charles F. Briggs to James Russell Lowell (Series 2.2) were a part of Pauline Page Howell's 1963 donation to the Archives of American Art. They had been given to Mrs. Howell by Charlotte Briggs, daughter of Charles F. Briggs, because of her father's lifelong friendship with William Page. Letters from Lowell to Briggs are in the James Russell Lowell papers in Houghton Library at Harvard University.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painting -- 19th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sketches
Poems
Drawings
Diaries
Citation:
William Page and Page Family papers, 1815-1947, bulk 1843-1892. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.pagewill
See more items in:
William Page and Page Family papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98de7b472-afbe-4b16-bbf1-c573fb9dcac6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-pagewill
Online Media:

Sara D. Page letters, 1850-1860

Creator:
Page, Sara Daugherty  Search this
Subject:
Page, William  Search this
Citation:
Sara D. Page letters, 1850-1860. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9917
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212432
AAA_collcode_pagesara
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212432

Joseph Sill selected diaries, 1832-1854

Creator:
Sill, Joseph, 1801-1854  Search this
Subject:
Audubon, John James  Search this
Audubon, Victor Gifford  Search this
Carey, Edward L.  Search this
Furness, William Henry  Search this
Hubard, William James  Search this
Huntington, Daniel  Search this
Lambdin, James Reid  Search this
Leutze, Emanuel  Search this
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese  Search this
Neagle, John  Search this
Page, William  Search this
Rothermel, Peter Frederick  Search this
Sartain, John  Search this
Saunders, George Lethbridge  Search this
Shaw, Joshua  Search this
Sully, Thomas  Search this
Watmough, Edward  Search this
Waugh, Samuel Bell  Search this
Weber, Paul  Search this
Weir, Robert Walter  Search this
Winner, W. E. (William E)  Search this
Artists' Fund Society  Search this
Art-Union of Philadelphia  Search this
National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this
Citation:
Joseph Sill selected diaries, 1832-1854. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Diaries  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13482
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214638
AAA_collcode_silljose
Theme:
Diaries
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214638

John C. Page letter to William Page, 1834 Oct. 22

Creator:
Page, John C.  Search this
Subject:
McKean, Thomas  Search this
Page, William  Search this
Citation:
John C. Page letter to William Page, 1834 Oct. 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10899
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214676
AAA_collcode_pagejohn
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214676

Selected papers from the Edward Carey Gardiner Collection, 1794-1872

Creator:
Gardiner, Edward Carey, ca. 1879-1945  Search this
Subject:
Baird, Henry Carey  Search this
Carey, Henry Charles  Search this
Carey, Mathew  Search this
Darley, Felix Octavius Carr  Search this
Duval, Peter S.  Search this
Huntington, Daniel  Search this
Leslie, Charles Robert  Search this
Mason, William  Search this
Page, William  Search this
Peale, Rembrandt  Search this
Read, Thomas Buchanan  Search this
Sartain, John  Search this
Sully, Thomas  Search this
Tanner, Benjamin  Search this
Thorpe, Thomas Bangs  Search this
Pennington family  Search this
Citation:
Selected papers from the Edward Carey Gardiner Collection, 1794-1872. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Art instruction and services  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10914
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214691
AAA_collcode_gardedwa
Theme:
Art instruction and services
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214691

John Quincy Adams

Artist:
Asher Brown Durand, 21 Aug 1796 - 17 Sep 1886  Search this
Other attribution:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
John Quincy Adams, 11 Jul 1767 - 23 Feb 1848  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
75cm x 62.3cm (29 1/2" x 24 1/2")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1835
Topic:
John Quincy Adams: Male  Search this
John Quincy Adams: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Massachusetts  Search this
John Quincy Adams: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Ambassador  Search this
John Quincy Adams: Politics and Government\President of US  Search this
John Quincy Adams: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of State  Search this
John Quincy Adams: Politics and Government\US Senator\Massachusetts  Search this
John Quincy Adams: Politics and Government\Son of US President  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: UNLOCATED
Object number:
H416 (80.1957)
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm40bc750c5-c3d8-4ce7-b3c0-7649ee3f5925
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_H416__80.1957_

Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle, 1820 - 1906  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas on Masonite
Dimensions:
40.8cm x 35.6cm (16 1/16" x 14"), Accurate
Type:
Painting
Date:
1845-49
Topic:
Interior  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Stock  Search this
Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle: Male  Search this
Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: National Academy of Design
Object number:
973-P-1688
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4eba326ae-5d57-4e06-94ce-f8627defca31
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_973-P-1688

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