Portrait of Mrs. John Trumbull 1820 - 1823

John Trumbull painted this portrait of Mrs. John Trumbull, most likely, in the United States. This image offers a window into the social expectations of women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Mrs. Trumbull is depicted with an emphasis on her domestic role, signified through her modest attire. Her clothing and pose reflect the values of the time, emphasizing piety, domesticity, and submissiveness. The portrait presents her as a figure of virtue, reinforcing the prevailing social norms that defined women's identities within the domestic sphere. To truly understand this artwork, one must research the social, economic, and political conditions of early America and consider the artist's biography and the Trumbull family's role in it.