Abigail Smith Adams 1751 - 1811

Editor: Here we have James Sharples's rendering of Abigail Smith Adams, created between 1751 and 1811. It's a pencil drawing on paper and exudes such delicate confidence. It's the type of drawing one imagines tucked into a cherished family locket. What can you tell us about Sharples’ approach in capturing her essence? Curator: Essence… precisely! Sharples has sketched Adams not just as a historical figure, but as a woman – a knowing mother, a fierce defender of liberty captured in a few lines. Look at how her eyes gaze directly at you – a gentle but firm challenge! The seeming simplicity of the medium – pencil on paper – almost enhances the rawness, the directness, don't you think? As if Sharples wished to strip away the formalities and show us the core. It’s quite intimate for the time, like a whispered secret. Editor: It is definitely a drawing with an intimate mood! The Romanticism shines through. But how do you view it in the context of Neoclassicism? Is there a tension between capturing emotion versus aiming at historical record? Curator: Ah, there's always a delightful tug-of-war between these "isms", isn’t there? The Neoclassical influence is there in the emphasis on line and form, a certain... austerity. Yet the artist allowed softness around her eyes, a playfulness in the depiction of the lace bonnet! It hints to the emergence of this emotional sensibility of Romanticism that would come later in that period. Perhaps, this image captures Adams at that turning point? How history transforms a person? Editor: This drawing reveals a very interesting balance in displaying Mrs. Adams as a human and historical figure! It definitely invites me to dive into learning more about her world! Curator: Yes! The brilliance of portraiture – like a portal through time to connect and converse with ghosts!