Frances Sargent Osgood was a woman with a true talent in poetry. The still portrait “Frances Sargent Osgood”[1] illustrates her uniquely and powerfully. The picture was created by the artist Alonzo Chappel. Chappel was one of the many artists involved in the evolution of art in America’s history. Alonzo Chappel was an artist who depicted many historical events, such as the Boston Massacre[2], but also illustrated normal people who showcased their personalities. Alonzo Chappel created this portrait of Frances Osgood during the year 1873. This unique portrait represents the fashion of women at first glance, but it also shows the distinguished Frances Osgood.
Take a look at Alonzo Chapel’s work on the Boston Massacre!
“Whether she was an enslaved woman who worked in the fields, or an indentured servant or the mistress of a plantation household, a woman had a job to do”[3](1). The Meaning of Work in Women’s Lives written by Alice Kessler-Harries allows an insight into how women worked during the time of 1800s. Before really diving into who Frances Osgood is and her impact, understanding who women are is a fundamental part. Women were constantly told no and not allowed to do many things. Voting, holding office, gaining an education, and many more were the many places where women were told no. The world at the time tried to constantly put women in a world full of no and more household work. But as mentioned in the opening chapter of Kessler-Harris’ work, all women had a job to do, no matter who they were. Women participated in work such as domestic tasks, beauty salons, hotel maids, teachers, as well as authors but all of this varied[4]. Some women were fortunate while others were put into unfamiliar territory in which they might be uneducated.
Alonzo Chappel used his art skills to show a unique interpretation of a distinguished Frances Osgood. Osgood is a woman that many people are unfamiliar with but that’s the case with many historical women. Many times, women were not allowed to receive an education. Barbara Matthews, author of “Women, Education and History”[5] focuses on the unavailability of education for women. Barbara Matthews writes, “The lack of access to formal educational institutions of varying types was a recurrent problem for women and a problem made apparent in the early colonies” (Matthews, 47). Women weren’t allowed to advance themselves and that’s been a problem since the beginning of time. This portrait shows how a woman defies the odds and makes a career and reputation in the poetry field.
The poem “Song” compares the heart to a musical box. This is one of her well-known poems.
This portrait showcases the women at the time by their appearance and clothing but there is more to that. Chappel paints a photo of Frances looking refined and distinguished, and also holding a book of some sort. One could describe the painting as a little mysterious and leave you wondering who she really was. Poetry for her was her escape from reality. Many of her poems surrounded the themes of love, life, and the overall feelings of a human being. One poem that stands out for many is the one titled “Song”. She writes, “Your heart is a music box, dearest! It begins with and ends with I love”.[6] Her work with this poem compares the human heart to a precious music box. Human beings’ hearts need to be cared for and handled with such caution as a delicate music box. Her poetry was the way that she was able to express herself and use that mysterious side of her. Her poetry really caught the attention of the females since she was able to relate to their feelings, emotions, and life during this time.
Mary G. De Jong wrote, “Osgood was not content to be known as somebody’s daughter or wife[7]” (Jong, 2). Women during the 19th century weren’t going to accept no and Frances Osgood is a true example of women defying the odds. Alonzo Chappel used his artistic skills to enlighten the historical community on the truly powerful women in the world, Frances Osgood is one of the many women to take note of. A portrait that seems so simple is really a deep dive into the life of women during the 19th century. Women had to learn to defy the odds and be able to use that “no” as their push to prove everyone wrong. Frances Osgood was a woman of true poetic talent and one that’s story could be shown in a new way highlighting all of the women in the 19th century due to Alonzo Chappel’s still portrait.
References:
[1] The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “Frances Sargent Osgood” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 3, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-034b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
[2] Chappel, Alonzo. “Alonzo Chappel the Boston Massacre, 5th March 1770 Painting Reproduction.” Alonzo Chappel The Boston Massacre, 5th March 1770 Painting Reproduction. Accessed April 3, 2024. https://www.alonzochappel.org/The-Boston-Massacre-5th-March-1770.html.
[3] KESSLER-HARRIS, ALICE. “The Meaning of Work in Women’s Lives.” In Women Have Always Worked: A Concise History, 1–20. University of Illinois Press, 2018. https://doi.org/10.5406/j.ctv80c9ht.4.
[4] “The Role of Women in Nineteenth-Century San Antonio – Journal of San Antonio.” The Role of Women in the 19th Century. Accessed April 6, 2024. https://www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/TheRoleofWomen.html#:~:text=They%20did%20many%20kinds%20of,considered%20the%20work%20of%20women.
[5] Matthews, Barbara. “Women, Education and History.” Theory Into Practice 15, no. 1 (1976): 47–53. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1475810.
[6] Frances Sargent Locke Osgood. Poems by the Famous Poet – All Poetry. (n.d.). https://allpoetry.com/Frances-Sargent-Locke-Osgood#t_main.
[7] De Jong, Mary G. “Her Fair Fame: The Reputation of Frances Sargent Osgood, Woman Poet.” Studies in the American Renaissance, 1987, 265–83. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30228136.