Portret van Thomas Wharton, markies van Wharton 1744

This is Jacob Houbraken’s etched and engraved portrait of Thomas Wharton, Marquess of Wharton, made sometime between 1698 and 1780. Note the elaborate decorative elements that surround the sitter. These features are visual cues that immediately communicate the subject's high social standing. Houbraken was a Dutch printmaker, and this image comes out of a Northern European tradition of portraiture that was closely tied to the rise of a commercial art market. Artists had to appeal to wealthy patrons, who were often members of the aristocracy or the merchant class, and were looking to promote their own status and project power. The conventions of portraiture became increasingly standardized to reflect the values and ideals of this society. Today, historians can study portraits like this one alongside other visual and textual records of the period, such as letters, diaries, and financial documents, to gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural context in which they were created. This reveals art's role in mirroring and shaping societal norms.