Born on July 5,1810,William Smith Elwell was first born child of, Benjamin Elwell (1785-1851) and Mary Smith(1790-1936).William's father, Benjamin Elwell was born in Dudley, Massachusetts on Nov 21,1885 and was the the youngest of the following four siblings, Mark Elwell Jr (1777-1857), Elmira Elwell (1779-1831) and Abiel Elwell (1781-1865) .The father of, Benjamin and his three siblings' was , Lieutenant Mark Elwell Sr .The elder ,Mark Elwell Sr served in the French and Indian war of 1758.Next he served in the then Colony of Connecticut militia as a commissioned officer. His pre-Revolutionary militia commission reads from May of 1772 : "This Assembly do establish, Mark Elwell, Lieutenant of the 18th Company or Trainband in the 11h Regiment in this Colony". Two years later in May of 1774 ,Mark Elwell Sr joined his fellow American Patriots in the war of the Revolution and was appointed Lieutenant in the 11th Regiment. On April 9,1775,Lieutenant Mark Elwell let a group of men for relief of Boston in the "Lexington Alarm". He marched from his hometown of, Woodstock, Connecticut into Boston, Massachusetts with twenty-seven men, in his charge .
Benjamin Elwell's brother,Mark Elwell Jr operated a furniture business in Dudley, Massachusetts. Mark Jr took his younger brother, Benjamin under his wing in cabinet making. After ,Benjamin's marriage in 1808 he moved to Brimfield, Massachusetts continuing his trade of cabinetmaking, returning to Dudley after a few years . Both brothers, Mark and Benjamin Elwell became highly regarded cabinetmakers in their community. Jump to 1831 and Benjamin Elwell first born, William Smith Elwell has taken up painting and one of his earliest works was him painting his uncle ,Mark Elwell's Cabinet Shop on "Dudley Hill " in Dudley, Massachusetts. The large unusual Ell shaped three story structure had two signs painted on the most prominent gable of the structure. The top one reads: "Furniture Ware Rooms" and bottom one "Mark Elwell" (seen in lower left of painting).Today the painting is on display at Old Sturbridge Village Museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
William was a painter of portraits, landscapes, rivers, and fishermen. William was also musically inclined and played the clarinet at the south Church when it was on Bliss Street in Springfield. In 1831 after finishing his uncle, Mark Elwell Jr's furniture shop painting he went to Springfield and, shortly thereafter, began to study with Chester Harding (1792-1866). Harding taught Elwell the art of portrait painting, which became the core of his work. One story has it, that while Elwell was working with Harding in 1842, he copied a portrait of ,Major George Washington Whistler — father of the famed artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Another version — by Ernest Newton Bragg in his April 24, 1910 article in the Springfield "Sunday Republican" — states that Major Whistler was among Elwell's first sitters in March of 1842.Major Whistler's portrait is now on display at the Whistler House Museum of Art — birthplace of his son James in Lowell, MA. Under the tutelage of Harding, Elwell became an accomplished portrait painter. He made two exceptional copies of ,Gilbert Stuart's portrait of ,George Washington — one hangs in his native town of Brimfield, Massachusetts and another full-size portrait is on display in the Springfield, Massachusetts Council Room of City Hall.
Later, Elwell worked as a government clerk in one of the departments in Washington, DC. In 1848, while living in Washington, he accomplished some of his finest work — one of which, a portrait of the elderly Dolly Madison, won him fame.Poor health caused Elwell to move back to Springfield. In 1855 he suffered a paralytic stroke, from which he never recovered, but continued to paint until his death in 1881 at the age of 71.Elwell was married twice: On December 23, 1834, he married Catherine Brewer, daughter of Henry Brewer. Five years later, on January 25, 1839 Catherine passed away at the age of 27. Sybil Ely Bagg became his second wife on January 27, 1842.
References: Ray Davenport, "Davenport's Art Reference 2001/2002", page 608 The Quadrangle of the Springfield City Library files Whistler House Museum of Art file
Benjamin Elwell's brother,Mark Elwell Jr operated a furniture business in Dudley, Massachusetts. Mark Jr took his younger brother, Benjamin under his wing in cabinet making. After ,Benjamin's marriage in 1808 he moved to Brimfield, Massachusetts continuing his trade of cabinetmaking, returning to Dudley after a few years . Both brothers, Mark and Benjamin Elwell became highly regarded cabinetmakers in their community. Jump to 1831 and Benjamin Elwell first born, William Smith Elwell has taken up painting and one of his earliest works was him painting his uncle ,Mark Elwell's Cabinet Shop on "Dudley Hill " in Dudley, Massachusetts. The large unusual Ell shaped three story structure had two signs painted on the most prominent gable of the structure. The top one reads: "Furniture Ware Rooms" and bottom one "Mark Elwell" (seen in lower left of painting).Today the painting is on display at Old Sturbridge Village Museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
William was a painter of portraits, landscapes, rivers, and fishermen. William was also musically inclined and played the clarinet at the south Church when it was on Bliss Street in Springfield. In 1831 after finishing his uncle, Mark Elwell Jr's furniture shop painting he went to Springfield and, shortly thereafter, began to study with Chester Harding (1792-1866). Harding taught Elwell the art of portrait painting, which became the core of his work. One story has it, that while Elwell was working with Harding in 1842, he copied a portrait of ,Major George Washington Whistler — father of the famed artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Another version — by Ernest Newton Bragg in his April 24, 1910 article in the Springfield "Sunday Republican" — states that Major Whistler was among Elwell's first sitters in March of 1842.Major Whistler's portrait is now on display at the Whistler House Museum of Art — birthplace of his son James in Lowell, MA. Under the tutelage of Harding, Elwell became an accomplished portrait painter. He made two exceptional copies of ,Gilbert Stuart's portrait of ,George Washington — one hangs in his native town of Brimfield, Massachusetts and another full-size portrait is on display in the Springfield, Massachusetts Council Room of City Hall.
Later, Elwell worked as a government clerk in one of the departments in Washington, DC. In 1848, while living in Washington, he accomplished some of his finest work — one of which, a portrait of the elderly Dolly Madison, won him fame.Poor health caused Elwell to move back to Springfield. In 1855 he suffered a paralytic stroke, from which he never recovered, but continued to paint until his death in 1881 at the age of 71.Elwell was married twice: On December 23, 1834, he married Catherine Brewer, daughter of Henry Brewer. Five years later, on January 25, 1839 Catherine passed away at the age of 27. Sybil Ely Bagg became his second wife on January 27, 1842.
References: Ray Davenport, "Davenport's Art Reference 2001/2002", page 608 The Quadrangle of the Springfield City Library files Whistler House Museum of Art file
Born on July 5,1810,William Smith Elwell was first born child of, Benjamin Elwell (1785-1851) and Mary Smith(1790-1936).William's father, Benjamin Elwell was born in Dudley, Massachusetts on Nov 21,1885 and was the the youngest of the following four siblings, Mark Elwell Jr (1777-1857), Elmira Elwell (1779-1831) and Abiel Elwell (1781-1865) .The father of, Benjamin and his three siblings' was , Lieutenant Mark Elwell Sr .The elder ,Mark Elwell Sr served in the French and Indian war of 1758.Next he served in the then Colony of Connecticut militia as a commissioned officer. His pre-Revolutionary militia commission reads from May of 1772 : "This Assembly do establish, Mark Elwell, Lieutenant of the 18th Company or Trainband in the 11h Regiment in this Colony". Two years later in May of 1774 ,Mark Elwell Sr joined his fellow American Patriots in the war of the Revolution and was appointed Lieutenant in the 11th Regiment. On April 9,1775,Lieutenant Mark Elwell let a group of men for relief of Boston in the "Lexington Alarm". He marched from his hometown of, Woodstock, Connecticut into Boston, Massachusetts with twenty-seven men, in his charge .
Benjamin Elwell's brother,Mark Elwell Jr operated a furniture business in Dudley, Massachusetts. Mark Jr took his younger brother, Benjamin under his wing in cabinet making. After ,Benjamin's marriage in 1808 he moved to Brimfield, Massachusetts continuing his trade of cabinetmaking, returning to Dudley after a few years . Both brothers, Mark and Benjamin Elwell became highly regarded cabinetmakers in their community. Jump to 1831 and Benjamin Elwell first born, William Smith Elwell has taken up painting and one of his earliest works was him painting his uncle ,Mark Elwell's Cabinet Shop on "Dudley Hill " in Dudley, Massachusetts. The large unusual Ell shaped three story structure had two signs painted on the most prominent gable of the structure. The top one reads: "Furniture Ware Rooms" and bottom one "Mark Elwell" (seen in lower left of painting).Today the painting is on display at Old Sturbridge Village Museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
William was a painter of portraits, landscapes, rivers, and fishermen. William was also musically inclined and played the clarinet at the south Church when it was on Bliss Street in Springfield. In 1831 after finishing his uncle, Mark Elwell Jr's furniture shop painting he went to Springfield and, shortly thereafter, began to study with Chester Harding (1792-1866). Harding taught Elwell the art of portrait painting, which became the core of his work. One story has it, that while Elwell was working with Harding in 1842, he copied a portrait of ,Major George Washington Whistler — father of the famed artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Another version — by Ernest Newton Bragg in his April 24, 1910 article in the Springfield "Sunday Republican" — states that Major Whistler was among Elwell's first sitters in March of 1842.Major Whistler's portrait is now on display at the Whistler House Museum of Art — birthplace of his son James in Lowell, MA. Under the tutelage of Harding, Elwell became an accomplished portrait painter. He made two exceptional copies of ,Gilbert Stuart's portrait of ,George Washington — one hangs in his native town of Brimfield, Massachusetts and another full-size portrait is on display in the Springfield, Massachusetts Council Room of City Hall.
Later, Elwell worked as a government clerk in one of the departments in Washington, DC. In 1848, while living in Washington, he accomplished some of his finest work — one of which, a portrait of the elderly Dolly Madison, won him fame.Poor health caused Elwell to move back to Springfield. In 1855 he suffered a paralytic stroke, from which he never recovered, but continued to paint until his death in 1881 at the age of 71.Elwell was married twice: On December 23, 1834, he married Catherine Brewer, daughter of Henry Brewer. Five years later, on January 25, 1839 Catherine passed away at the age of 27. Sybil Ely Bagg became his second wife on January 27, 1842.
References: Ray Davenport, "Davenport's Art Reference 2001/2002", page 608 The Quadrangle of the Springfield City Library files Whistler House Museum of Art file
Benjamin Elwell's brother,Mark Elwell Jr operated a furniture business in Dudley, Massachusetts. Mark Jr took his younger brother, Benjamin under his wing in cabinet making. After ,Benjamin's marriage in 1808 he moved to Brimfield, Massachusetts continuing his trade of cabinetmaking, returning to Dudley after a few years . Both brothers, Mark and Benjamin Elwell became highly regarded cabinetmakers in their community. Jump to 1831 and Benjamin Elwell first born, William Smith Elwell has taken up painting and one of his earliest works was him painting his uncle ,Mark Elwell's Cabinet Shop on "Dudley Hill " in Dudley, Massachusetts. The large unusual Ell shaped three story structure had two signs painted on the most prominent gable of the structure. The top one reads: "Furniture Ware Rooms" and bottom one "Mark Elwell" (seen in lower left of painting).Today the painting is on display at Old Sturbridge Village Museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
William was a painter of portraits, landscapes, rivers, and fishermen. William was also musically inclined and played the clarinet at the south Church when it was on Bliss Street in Springfield. In 1831 after finishing his uncle, Mark Elwell Jr's furniture shop painting he went to Springfield and, shortly thereafter, began to study with Chester Harding (1792-1866). Harding taught Elwell the art of portrait painting, which became the core of his work. One story has it, that while Elwell was working with Harding in 1842, he copied a portrait of ,Major George Washington Whistler — father of the famed artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Another version — by Ernest Newton Bragg in his April 24, 1910 article in the Springfield "Sunday Republican" — states that Major Whistler was among Elwell's first sitters in March of 1842.Major Whistler's portrait is now on display at the Whistler House Museum of Art — birthplace of his son James in Lowell, MA. Under the tutelage of Harding, Elwell became an accomplished portrait painter. He made two exceptional copies of ,Gilbert Stuart's portrait of ,George Washington — one hangs in his native town of Brimfield, Massachusetts and another full-size portrait is on display in the Springfield, Massachusetts Council Room of City Hall.
Later, Elwell worked as a government clerk in one of the departments in Washington, DC. In 1848, while living in Washington, he accomplished some of his finest work — one of which, a portrait of the elderly Dolly Madison, won him fame.Poor health caused Elwell to move back to Springfield. In 1855 he suffered a paralytic stroke, from which he never recovered, but continued to paint until his death in 1881 at the age of 71.Elwell was married twice: On December 23, 1834, he married Catherine Brewer, daughter of Henry Brewer. Five years later, on January 25, 1839 Catherine passed away at the age of 27. Sybil Ely Bagg became his second wife on January 27, 1842.
References: Ray Davenport, "Davenport's Art Reference 2001/2002", page 608 The Quadrangle of the Springfield City Library files Whistler House Museum of Art file
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