William Wetmore Story
A Life Shaped by Marble and Law Born in Salem, Massachusetts, William Wetmore Story began his adult life far from the quiet dust of a sculptor's studio. He was a man of intellect and rigorous study, having graduated from Harvard College in 1838 and later completing his studies at Harvard Law School in 1840. Under the guidance of his father, the Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, he practiced law and even authored legal treatises regarding contracts and sales. Yet, the heavy books of jurisprudence could not entirely contain a spirit drawn toward the classical world. After a period of practic…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of William Wetmore Story's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.