Thomas Middleton of The Oaks 

Curator: Here we have a portrait of Thomas Middleton of The Oaks, painted by Benjamin West. Although undated, we can place it within the latter half of the 18th century, a time of immense social change and the rise of portraiture as a demonstration of status. Editor: First impression? Well, besides the powdered wig vibe, there's something rather… wistful about him, don't you think? Almost as if he's caught in a particularly melancholy daydream. Curator: Portraits in this period functioned as important signifiers of wealth and social standing. Notice how Middleton is posed; the cane, the flowing fabric, even the meticulously rendered lace, speak to a certain level of aristocratic leisure and self-fashioning. Editor: True, but look closer. That faraway gaze and relaxed pose are rather revolutionary, eh? We're used to paintings of people trying to look very busy, very proper, but this man seems to be lost in something else entirely. A touch dreamy even for someone of leisure. Curator: Certainly. This hints towards the influences of Romanticism even within formal portraiture. The subtle landscape peeking from behind the drapery subtly removes him from strict formalism. Editor: See, I love that hint of landscape! Makes you think what it is he's looking at? Does it represent something beyond this staged, societal display we’ve grown to accept? It's an open window to his mind. Perhaps an escape. Curator: We must consider though, the sitter's intent too. Portraiture often reflected a careful construction of identity—an image deliberately presented for posterity and contemporary viewers. And in terms of the market for portraits at that time, West was highly regarded in the art world and thus also quite popular for wealthy Englishmen and American Loyalists. Editor: I imagine staring off to the side for so long can have its pitfalls though, yes? But perhaps the real revolution is what's happening under all these stuffy expectations – something stirring deep within the sitter! Curator: Indeed, there's an interesting push and pull between public presentation and potential glimpses into private interiority here. And it speaks volumes about changing social norms and evolving notions of selfhood. Editor: Agreed. After taking time looking and exploring, I found so many different stories I would love to write around the history of this sitter and what West imagined him to become!