Thomas Mifflin 1787 - 1790

Editor: Here we have John Trumbull's portrait of Thomas Mifflin, painted between 1787 and 1790. It’s rendered in monochrome, and the oval format is quite striking. What stands out to you? Curator: The monochrome itself speaks volumes. Consider the symbolic death of color – a flattening of the vibrant spectrum of life into stark contrast. What memories, what associations does that evoke? Is this about making Mifflin monumental, a kind of classical bust reborn in paint? Editor: I hadn't thought about it as a deliberate "death of color"! I was focused on its formality. Curator: Formality is key. The portrait flattens and idealizes, adhering to neoclassical aesthetics, referencing a very specific moment in history when newly established American elites modeled themselves off the aesthetics of Roman virtue. Consider the gaze – is it direct, challenging? Or is it softened, perhaps alluding to the burden of leadership? What qualities do you think the artist wanted to emphasize through this softened, even somewhat ambiguous expression? Editor: It's hard to say. He definitely doesn't look like he’s a revolutionary. More like he's carefully weighing something. Maybe he looks burdened. Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to think about the burdens of building a nation, of crafting an identity, the subtle encoding of power within seemingly simple aesthetic choices. What stories might those contrasts hold, those visual cues whisper to future generations about who we were, or, more accurately, who we wanted to be? Editor: So, even in seemingly straightforward portraiture, there are layers of meaning embedded within the very style and presentation. That’s fascinating. Thanks for this illuminating conversation. Curator: My pleasure. Art, ultimately, is an archive of felt experience, of aspirations and anxieties given form. Hopefully, this image will linger a little longer in our memories.