William P. Sheys: A Delicate Touch on Ivory William P. Sheys (circa 1788 – 1850) occupies a niche within American art history—a quiet corner illuminated by the extraordinary luminosity achieved through his distinctive technique of watercolor painting on ivory. Biographical information about this artist remains elusive, shrouded in the mists of time, yet surviving documentation confirms his birth around 1788 in the United States, placi…