Susannah Powell Mason (Mrs. Jonathan Mason) 1803 - 1804

Curator: Welcome. Here we have Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Susannah Powell Mason, wife of Jonathan Mason, an American lawyer, politician, and businessman from Boston, Massachusetts. Editor: There’s an immediacy to it, isn’t there? I’m struck by the fabrics, the way the fine lace collar contrasts with the sheen of her headscarf, probably silk. And that direct gaze. What does it tell us about her position? Curator: Well, the headscarf was in vogue during the early nineteenth century, signaling a kind of neoclassical embrace of simplicity and even liberty. Although Mrs. Mason was an elite woman, she eschewed ostentatious displays of wealth in her portrait. Editor: It's interesting how Stuart’s brushwork highlights the material qualities and labor behind even simple elegance. The creation of the white fabric alone signifies a network of cotton plantations, textile mills, global trade, and skilled needlework. Curator: Indeed, objects carry so much cultural weight. Editor: Right, it’s more than just silk and lace on canvas. Curator: Reflecting on this, one could say the portrait is a testament to how even the most seemingly simple portrait, speaks volumes about the past and present, about both individual and society.