Portrait of Cornelia Van Horn Lansdale 1820

Rembrandt Peale painted this portrait of Cornelia Van Horn Lansdale sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Peale, born into a family of artists, carried the weight and privilege of that legacy as he navigated a society undergoing profound transformation. Portraits of women during this period often served to reinforce societal expectations of domesticity and virtue. Yet, looking at Cornelia, one wonders what stories lie beneath the surface of her composed expression. The details of her dress—the delicate lace bonnet, the sheer shawl—hint at a certain status, but also perhaps at the constraints placed upon women of her time. What were her aspirations? What were her struggles? Peale, though working within the conventions of portraiture, captures something of Cornelia's individuality. He once said "It is in vain to look for genius, or power, or taste, or sensibility, if judgment be wanting." In this work, there is a sense of quiet strength. The painting invites us to reflect on the complexities of identity and experience, and the narratives we construct about those who came before us.