Joseph Addison 17th-18th century

Curator: Just look at this print, "Joseph Addison" by John Simon, hanging here in the Harvard Art Museums. The dramatic lighting! Editor: Yes, it's theatrical, almost comical. All that wig and the almost foppish pose… a bit much? Curator: Perhaps, but this flamboyance was a visual language of power. Addison was, after all, a Secretary of State. These portraits played a crucial role in shaping public perception. Editor: Power dressing, if you will. It's interesting how the soft mezzotint contrasts with the rigid formality of the subject. There's a tension that keeps it from being merely a stuffy historical document. Curator: Precisely. It's that push and pull between personal expression and political presentation that continues to fascinate me. Editor: Agreed. There is something deeply human peeking through the layers of artifice.