Portrait of a Lady in Red c. 1785 - 1790

Around the 1700s, The Sherman Limner created this oil on canvas painting, “Portrait of a Lady in Red.” Let's think about what it meant to commission a portrait at this time. The canvas would have been prepared, stretched, and primed, often by a specialist. The pigments would need grinding and mixing with oil, a skilled process. The lady’s dress is rendered in a striking red, likely a costly pigment, signaling her and her family's wealth. But here’s the thing: while the lady's dress and adornments speak to a certain level of affluence, the way the Limner applied the paint – thinly, with little modulation – speaks to a different story. It suggests the artist was working within a more provincial context, perhaps without access to the same materials or training as his European counterparts. Ultimately, this portrait is a fascinating document of its time. By looking closely at the materials and the making, we see the interplay of social aspiration and artistic reality.