A Legacy of Vision: The Life and Art of Mehetable Stoddard Sumner In the burgeoning art scene of late 18th-century Boston, a period defined by the quiet dignity of early American identity, Mehetable Stoddard Sumner (Welles) emerged as a rare and vital feminine voice. Born in 1767 into a world where the opportunities for women to pursue professional artistic careers were profoundly limited, she navigated the social constraints of her era to establish herself as a skilled portrait painter. Her journey from a young talent receiving local instruction to a recognized figure in the American art la…