Richard Montgomery 1781 - 1786

Editor: Here we have Charles Willson Peale's pencil drawing of Richard Montgomery, dating from somewhere between 1781 and 1786. It's a striking profile portrait, so simple, yet carrying a certain weight. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, consider how portraits like this served as vital memory objects, especially after Montgomery's death in 1775. Think about the profile view, common in ancient coinage and cameos; what associations does that evoke in terms of leadership and heroism? Editor: So it's tapping into a visual language that elevates him, makes him more than just a man? Curator: Precisely! And what about the setting of the portrait? That oval format and frame suggest intimacy. Is he being memorialized as a hero or remembered as someone beloved? Is it public or personal, or a carefully crafted mixture? Editor: It's like the image itself is a symbol, working on multiple levels. Almost like a memory, constantly reinterpreted with the passing of time. It also occurs to me that there are layers of who made this image – Peale drawing Montgomery’s profile… What meaning does that carry in and of itself? Curator: Absolutely, who makes and reproduces an image matters just as much! Don't forget, Peale was also a revolutionary. How does that change the portrait's impact? Editor: I didn’t even consider that. It makes the artwork so much richer! I now feel as though it represents cultural and collective identity, and loss. Curator: Yes, these visual shorthands offer a window into a culture’s values.