Philip and I acquired this painting in 2013, and it was one of the first “fine art” pieces that joined our collection. At the time we thought the painter was “talented,” and we were motivated to acquire it since the child depicted in the work was identified as being from Clinton, South Carolina (Philip’s hometown). Last weekend we entertained several friends, and this particular painting came up in more than one conversation, which re-kindled my interest. The auction catalog description read as follows: “Late 19th century. Note: Signed on verso “Miss Myrtle Bowen died March 25, 1897 age 5 years 3 months, painted by John (illegible) from photo 1898.”
Miss Myrtle Ellen Bowen was born 4th September 1886, presumably in South Carolina, and died 25th March 1897. She appears to have lived most of her young life at Thornwell Orphanage, now known as Thornwell Home for Children, located in Clinton, South Carolina.
The Thornwell Orphanage was founded in October 1875, by Dr. William P. Jacobs for ten boys described as fatherless casualties of the Civil War. Later, Dr. Jacobs also went on to found Clinton, now Presbyterian, College, among other institutions.
Dr. Jacobs actually made mention of Myrtle in his writings, which were later published by his son, Thornwell Jacobs. In a musing about the Thornwell cemetery plot and loss of loved ones, Jacobs said: “The angel of death came even more quickly for others; there was little Myrtle Bowen running from school on a cold winter’s day to a fire that was gone out, and from a coal on the hearth her dress was set in a blaze, and we laid her poor burned body here in this little grave.”
Bowen’s small tombstone, standing in the Thornwell plot at the Clinton cemetery reads: “Though sorry may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning.”
After reading about such a heartbreaking and tragic event, I wanted to learn more about Myrtle. First, I consulted the painting itself. On the front surface, a young girl with light brown hair, blue eyes and a solemn expression stares back at me. Her hair is cut short and parted to one side. On the back, or verso surface of the canvas, there are two different inscriptions.
The first inscription in black ink reads:
Miss Myrtle Bowen,
died March 25, 1897.
aged 5 years 3 months
Painted by John Stolle from Photo.
1898.
A later inscription, written in blue ink reads:
age time of
Deth [sic]
10 years 6 mon.
Therefore, Myrtle Bowen was five years old in the photograph used by the artist to create the work, but simple math shows that she died at age ten.
A search of the online material from the Jackson-Arnold Archives at Presbyterian College yielded many pre-1900 photographs. One, in particular, caught my attention. It identified Dr. Jacobs, Mrs. Liddell, Miss Sallie Liddell, Miss Letha McCants and group of Faith Cottage girls at Thornwell Orphange. The type of photograph and dimensions are not noted within the description, but I will assume that it is either a cart de visite or cabinet card.
The back row (from left to right): Dr. Jacobs, Mrs. Liddell, Miss Sallie Liddell and Letha McCants. Dr. Jacobs was born in 1841, and appears to be in his 50s. Letha McCants was born about 1870, and does appear to be at least twenty years old. Mrs. Liddell’s attire, in particular the collar, appears to date to the late 1880s. Miss McCants tight straight collar, tailored bodice and narrow profile skirt are more consistent with early 1890s clothing trends. Also, generally speaking, based on the long sleeves, tights and boots, the photograph was not taken during the summer months in Laurens County, South Carolina. Therefore, based on the clothing styles and estimated ages of known individuals, this photograph was most likely taken circa 1895. The children pictured appear to have been between the ages of four and twelve years old. (Note the children were standing on the bottom step of the cottage, and the camera positioning and lens distortion made them appear more tall and wide)
A closer examination of the children draws my attention immediately to this young girl. She appears to have been between eight and ten years old, has light hair and eyes, and a similar hairstyle to Myrtle Bowen shown in the painting. Although I’m not completely certain of this young girl’s identity, the resemblance is uncanny, implying that this photograph could have been taken shortly before her tragic and painful death.
A former resident of Thornwell Home for Children informed me that he distinctly remembers being told the story of a young girl who had caught her dress on fire in the Faith Cottage while attempting to dry her hair, and died from her injuries.
And, since there are always more questions than answers:
Who is John Stolle and how did he end up painting a portrait of Myrtle Bowen after her death?
John [Johann] Stolle (1836-1909) was a Dresden born artist who immigrated to the United States no earlier than 1870.
The New York Times announced his arrival on 26th November 1883, which can be further confirmed by his presence on the ship’s passenger manifest. It has been suggested that Stolle was recruited to paint in the city of Charleston, which may have been done by former city mayor William Ashmead Courtenay who was a patron of both historical preservation as well as the arts. Stolle later enumerated in the 1900 U.S. census that he immigrated in 1870, and a painting of Colonel Daniel Heyward (in the manner of Jeremiah Theus) hangs in the Heyward Washington House of a similar date. Therefore, this passenger manifest may simply illustrate Stolle’s travels back to Europe.
It is not clear whether Stolle immediately settled in Charleston, but even if he was living elsewhere, he had completed multiple commissioned paintings for South Carolinians by the early 1880s. In 1884, the Atlanta Constitution announced that Stolle was going to “Paint Columbia.”
Interestingly, Stolle’s paintings were often from a photograph, or copies of original works including those of Charles Wilson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, Thomas Sully, Jeremiah Theus, and John Trumbull. The same year he painted a Columbia cityscape, he also painted a portrait of General Thomas Sumter in the manner of Rembrandt Peale, which is in the collection of the Columbia Museum of Art as well as a portrait of General Francis Marion on exhibit in the City of Charleston.
Collection of the Columbia Museum of Art. Photograph courtesy of CMA.
John Stolle first appeared in the Charleston City Directory in 1892 with a studio in the Mills House. In 1900, he was identified as an artist in the census.
In May 1891, while visiting from England, Theodore Drayton Grimke-Drayton wrote in his diary that on the suggestion of Dr. and Mrs. Pickens he met with German artist, John Stolle, at his studio and arranged for him to copy four works in the genre of oil paintings. He also encouraged Stolle to visit England and complete more work for him there. Grimke-Drayton described Stolle as “a good artist & cheap.” Then, Augustus Sachtleben, a Charleston professor, wrote to Theodore Drayton Grimke-Drayton, Esquire on 5th July 1891 from Flat Rock, North Carolina:
“ Mr. Charles Drayton’s pedigree was copied very handsomely by Mr. Bergmann and delivered to me on the day he had promised to finish it. Before I left [Charleston], I handed it to Mr. Hastie and advised him to have it packed into the box, in which the paintings of Mr. Stolle are to be sent to you. Mr. Stolle had on the first of July finished, besides Gov. Glen’s portrait, which you saw before you left, the square portrait of Mrs. Baker, which we all think an excellent likeness, and the oval portrait of the Rev. John G. Drayton. The latter is very finely executed and alltogether [sic] like the medallion miniature from which it was copied; all who saw it at my house, where it was for a day or two for examination, were very much pleased with the execution. When Emma [Grimke] went to Mr. Charles Drayton at Drayton Hall about the picture at Drayton Hall which Mr. Stolle was to copy for you, Mr. Drayton said the picture was so dilapidated that he did not no [sic] how it could be transported to Charleston; that Mr. Stolle was quite welcome to go up to Drayton Hall to copy it, but that, owing to the climate, this could hardly be done before the fall of next year. I told this to Mr. Stolle and we concluded that the painting of the Shoolbred picture would have to be put off until November. There remain therefore for the present only the two oval pictures of Dictator Rutledge and Mr. Drayton of which Mr. Charles Drayton has supplied the miniature, and the 25 dollar [sic] picture of Mrs. Motte. I advised Mr. Hastie when the paintings are done, to let Mr. Hickey, the picture-frame-man [sic] know, pack them in a box and, as I said before, to add the pedigree. Mr. Hastie will be informed by Mr. Stolle when the latter has finished one of these pictures which are still to be done and Mr. Hastie may then get someone, either Gen. Seigling or Prof. Manigault to examine them, but I think this hardly necessary, for I know Mr. Stolle to be very conscientious, besides he has the prospect of going to England for more work before his eyes.”
Professor Manigault was likely Dr. Gabriel E. Manigault who was a comparative anatomist and director of The Charleston Museum from 1873-1899. Stolle painted a depiction of Manigault in 1894, which is also in the collection of The Charleston Museum. Emma [Grimke] mentioned in the letter was likely the daughter of Augustus Sachtleben who married Reverend John Grimke-Drayton, probable brother of Theodore Drayton Grimke-Drayton. Sachtleben mentioned in the letter that Grimke-Drayton’s brother was scheduled to preach in Flat Rock that summer. Augustus Sachtleben, a Charlestonian was summering in the North Carolina Mountains at a home belonging to Grimke-Drayton. The diary entries and letter pertaining to Stolle can be found in the Grimke Family Papers. John Stolle as an artist or pertaining to painting copies of photographs or portraits can also be found in the correspondence of John D. Cappleman, Rudolph Siengling and James Simons.
Stolle painted commissioned pieces for Charleston City Hall, the Charleston Library Society and the St. Andrew’s Society of Charleston. His works included portraits of John Rutledge (after John Trumbull), Andrew Pickens (after Thomas Sully), General Thomas Sumter (after Rembrandt Peale), Colonel James Kinlock (after Jeremiah Theus), and General William Moultrie (after Charles Wilson Peale) to simply name a few.
He died 26th December 1909 of valvular heart disease.
The portrait of a young orphan girl appears to have been both a departure and dichotomy compared to John [Johann] Stolle’s usual clientele. It remains unclear how Stolle came to paint a portrait of five year old Myrtle Bowen after her death. Perhaps, Dr. William P. Jacobs commissioned the piece following a poignant incident which surely affected Thornwell Orphanage in entirety.
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