Aubrey, Earl of Burford, Later 6th Duke of St. Albans 

Curator: Here we have Lemuel Francis Abbott’s portrait of Aubrey, Earl of Burford, later the 6th Duke of St. Albans. Editor: It's so striking – the red military coat against the hazy background feels almost dreamlike. Is it me, or does it hint at a yearning, despite all the formal regalia? Curator: I see what you mean, a tension between outward power and inner reverie. Abbott, working primarily as a portraitist, certainly knew how to capture a certain societal standing, but also maybe an individual’s spirit, even if he struggled sometimes with the execution of details. Editor: Interesting that you point that out, because if you look closely at the crafting of this portrait, the meticulous detailing on the red coat and the sword contrasts sharply with the background. This really draws attention to the material production involved. Oil paints capturing textiles and metal – luxury goods destined for elite consumption. Curator: Absolutely. Romanticism, like we see here, frequently grapples with that tension. This image seems caught between those things – the sitter’s own identity, the material of his status, and the wildness of the imagined space beyond him. Does he own that space, or is he also a bit lost within it? Editor: And I wonder, what was Abbott thinking about the socio-economic implications of such commissions? Did he ever ponder the laborers who produced the Duke's finery or simply focus on serving his wealthy clientele? The history of the portrait seems rooted in a tension between social observation and commerce. Curator: I think Abbott understood his role in the broader mechanism of status display. While the brushstrokes might speak of Romantic ideals, the overall project served a very material function: cementing place in the world. This feels much like stagecraft to me, playing the role. Editor: Exactly. Seeing it that way provides, I think, a deeper perspective than just reading it as a snapshot of an aristocrat in an aesthetic landscape. Thank you, as always, for opening up avenues of consideration that connect the dots between commerce and craft, individual expression and a sense of yearning, or maybe a little bit of dissatisfaction.