Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons

Sarah Goodridge, Gilbert Stuart, Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons, ca. 1820, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 ³⁄₄ x 2 ¹⁄₈ in. (7.0 x 5.4 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore, 1950.4.39

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Artwork Details

Title: Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons
Artists: Attributed to Sarah Goodridge
Copy after Gilbert Stuart
Date: ca. 1820
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sight 2 ³⁄₄ x 2 ¹⁄₈ in. (7.0 x 5.4 cm) rectangle
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore
Mediums: watercolor
Mediums Description: watercolor on ivory
Classifications: Painting
Miniature
Highlights: Early American Art
Subjects: Portrait male — Parsons, Theophilus — bust
Occupation — law — chief justice
Object Number: 1950.4.39
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1950.4.39

Artwork Description

A leading lawyer in New England, Theophilus Parsons (1750-1813) wrote the Essex Report, which outlined many of the principles for a republican form of government. He helped to draft the Massachusetts state constitution, and also worked to have the federal Constitution ratified. Parsons served as chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1806 to 1813. Considered somewhat eccentric, Parsons was often accompanied by his wife, who made sure her husband dressed well and looked presentable. His eccentricities did not compromise his judicial decisions, however, and his law clerks included John Quincy Adams, future sixth president of the United States, who practiced with Parsons after graduating from law school.