Portrait of a Lady 1785 - 1799

Curator: Here we have Samuel Percy's "Portrait of a Lady," dating from between 1785 and 1799, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What strikes you first about this ivory sculpture? Editor: It's unexpectedly charming! There's something about the miniature scale combined with the woman’s rather stern expression that creates a compelling tension. It feels very intimate. Curator: Intimacy is a key factor here. Consider ivory as a material: sourced globally through complex trade routes and then meticulously carved, it signifies luxury but also colonial realities and modes of consumption. How does this tension influence your understanding? Editor: Knowing that adds a layer of complexity. The piece feels like a statement about status – look at that wig, the fine details – yet it's ultimately displayed within the museum context, itself a politically-charged space. The image becomes both a symbol of social hierarchy and a commentary on how that hierarchy is remembered and, in some ways, perpetuated by the very act of display. Curator: Exactly! And let's not overlook the production of ivory. This sculpture, viewed through a materialist lens, represents exploitation as a factor. There's a lot wrapped up in this small artwork. Editor: Absolutely. It’s far more than just a pretty face! This sculpture shows us that objects are never neutral; they're loaded with the history of their creation and circulation. This little ivory sculpture quietly speaks volumes about gender, class, and the power structures of the late 18th century, a microcosm of society. Curator: It offers us an interesting way into the culture from which it came. Editor: It does make you think about who had the power to be remembered, immortalized like this. Curator: Precisely, it's more complex and engaging than initially meets the eye. Editor: Yes, I agree. It really illustrates how seemingly simple objects hold entire worlds within them.