In 1670, George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, rebuked fellow Quakers to “pluck down your images” lest they be imitating “the Creator.” Fox’s admonition against the display of fine art established a prohibition that lasted for over a century. Friends believed that painting was of little merit to one’s spiritual enhancement. They valued a “useful education” that taught children religious principles coupled with practical skills. Not until the nineteenth century did art become an accepted subject of study. Quaker attitudes toward the fine arts began to soften in part due to growing integration into American culture as well as increasing religious diversity that allowed them new freedom in belief and practice. This was a gradual process. Quaker schools instructed boys and girls in appropriate forms of useful art, such as mechanical drawing or alphabetic samplers in the early nineteenth century. It was not until after the Civil War that fine arts was taught without fear of condemnation by fellow Friends.
There are examples of notable early American Quaker painters, such as Benjamin West and Edward Hicks, who came to prominence in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Though a birthright Quaker, West was not a practicing Friend. On the other hand, Hicks became a minister and worked hard to balance his spiritual calling with his artistic talent. A lesser-known Quaker artist was Ann Fothergill. Born in England in 1830 (the great niece of the well-known physician John Fothergill), Ann emigrated to Chester County with her family in 1843. They eventually settled in Delaware, where Ann gained an education. She came from an artistic family; her father and some of her siblings painted watercolors. Ann became a teacher and principal at the Friends School in Wilmington during the 1870s, when art education became an acceptable subject at Quaker institutions.
The Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College has some examples of Ann’s artwork. The Fothergill Family Papers include a curious artifact labeled: “Manuscript Book of Drawings and Poems with Moral Lessons.” This small, hand sewn book is about four by six inches in size with no title page or author. It is likely Ann’s work but could be by one of her sisters or other relatives. Inside, each page has a short poem and a finely drawn image, for a total of twenty-five entries. The sketches include assorted beauty products and women’s and men’s jewelry.
The first entry, “The Enchanting Mirror,” is presented with the following poem: “This curious glass will bring your faults to light;/Present your virtues more transcendent bright;/Your neighbors failings gently cover o’er;/And on your heart a sweet affection pour.” When you lift the small oval covering the mirror, the world “Humility” is written underneath. The other entries follow a similar format. For example, the portrayal of a pearl necklace is accompanied by the following: “A Necklace of Purest Pearl/This ornament embellishes the fair/And teaches all the ills of life to bear/.” Under clasp the word “Meekness” appears (Figure 1 and 2). Another entry is of a man’s pocket watch, entitled: “A True Time Piece/By this the gentle fair may learn to prize,/And well improve each moment as it flies.” When you flip the watch face up, the word “Regularity” is displayed (Figure 3 and 4).
All of these images juxtapose outward adornment with spiritual lessons that embraced Quaker values, such as compassion, contentment, and moderation. The other illustrations include a diamond breastpin, linked to “Charity,” a gold ring that evoked “Fidelity,” and a pair of bracelets that were matched with “Industry and Perseverance.” The book ends with a drawing of a diadem: “Who ev’r this precious diadem shall own,/Secures herself an everlasting crown.” Under the rim of the crown is the word “Piety.” This little book is emblematic of the transition Friends experienced during the nineteenth century as they became more worldly, e.g., offering fine arts education at their select schools. Yet they desired to remain true to Quaker values that placed inward growth above outward display. All the poems in this small book laud the intangible benefits of spiritual ideals paired with appropriate behavior, such as benevolence, retrospection, and modesty, over the enticing attributes of material possessions.
Bibliography
“Manuscript Book of Drawings and Poems with Moral Lessons,” n.d., Fothergill Family Papers, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA.
Richard Dunn and Mary Maples Dunn, eds., The Papers of William Penn (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1981).
Friends School in Wilmington: An Account of the Growth of the School from Its Beginnings to the Present Time (Wilmington: Friends School, 1948).
Roger Homan, “The Inward and Outward Eye: Quaker Attitudes to Visual Culture,” Quaker Studies vol. 18, #2 (2014):139-150.
Emma Jones Lapsansky and Anne A. Verplanck, eds., Quaker Aesthetics: Reflections on a Quaker Ethic in American Design and Consumption (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003).
Erin E. Zavitz, “Artistic Presence: A Sketch of the History of Art at Quaker Schools,” Quaker History vol. 94, #1 (2005):24-40.
Janet Moore Lindman, PhD, is professor and chair of the History Department at Rowan University. She has published books and articles on early American religion, women’s history, and gender history.
Read Lindman’s article “‘Frequent Self-Examination Is the Duty of All’: Practical Religion, Moral Improvement, and Transatlantic Protestantism” in EAS’s Fall 2024 issue.