Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
The Scarlet Letter
(18th and 19th Centuries )
This painting is inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel published in 1850, "The Scarlet Letter," which is set in 17th-century Boston. The subject was chosen, not by the artist, but by William T. Walters who commissioned this work. Walters made sure that a French translation of the book was given to Merle, who choses to show the novel’s heroine, Hester Prynne, holding her illegitimate child, Pearl, in a pose that recalls depictions of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. For the crime of adultery Hester is made to wear a red letter “A” on her chest (the “scarlet letter” of the novel’s title). Although the painting does not depict a particular moment from the story, Merle nevertheless clearly read the novel closely. Hester is a skilled seamstress and the “A” she wears is described by Hawthorne as being luxuriously made and embellished with gold thread, as well as an object of fascination for Pearl, just as it is in this painting.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Commissioned by William T. Walters (through George A. Lucas as agent), Baltimore, March 9, 1861 [1]; inherited by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
[1] The Diary of George A Lucas, p.104, commissioned from the artist, on November 1, 1859.
Exhibitions
| 2014-2016 | From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2002-2004 | A Magnificent Age: Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte. |
| 1978-1979 | The Second Empire 1852-1870: Art in France under Napoleon III. Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia; The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 1/30/1974 | Treatment | coated; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
| 4/20/1978 | Examination | examined for loan |
| 8/3/1992 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 4/27/1994 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Measurements
H: 39 5/16 x W: 31 15/16 in. (99.9 x 81.1 cm); Framed H: 51 x W: 42 x D: 3 in. (129.5 x 106.7 x 7.6 cm)
Credit Line
Commissioned by William T. Walters, 1859
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.172