Sir Richard Perryn n.d.

This aquatint of Sir Richard Perryn was created by Gainsborough Dupont in 1779, and is now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. The composition immediately draws us to the figure’s face, framed by a voluminous wig, directing our gaze along a vertical axis through the subject’s body. Dupont skillfully employs the aquatint technique to create a range of tonal variations, suggesting the textures of fur and fabric with remarkable verisimilitude. Look at how the light catches the edges of the wig and robe, creating a dynamic interplay between light and shadow. The portrait operates within a semiotic system of signs, the wig and robe function as symbols of authority, instantly communicating the sitter’s social and professional status. By focusing on the formal qualities of the portrait, we come to understand how Dupont's artistic choices contribute to the construction of meaning and the reinforcement of social hierarchies. Consider how the texture and form work together to communicate power, authority, and status in late eighteenth-century Britain.