J. Ellis Bonham - William Bonnell

Estate of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch

"J. Ellis Bonham" by William Bonnell (March 5, 1825) Oil on panel.

Commentary

"J. Ellis Bonham" by William Bonnell (March 5, 1825) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through narrati ve alone. Themes to notice include Folk Art, painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Arts of the Americas collection. William Bonnell is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: William Bonnell American, 1804–1865. The work is cataloged within a United States cultural context. It is associated with the Folk Art period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Oil on panel) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (30.5 × 24.9 cm (12 × 9 13/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include Folk Art, painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/61146

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data