Wilbraham Wentworth 1775

This engraving of "Sir Wilbraham Wentworth" was made by Paul Revere, the celebrated American silversmith and patriot. The visual field is dominated by linear precision and carefully considered composition. Observe how Revere uses a subtle interplay of light and shadow to define the figure of Wentworth. The subject is in a state of repose, seated on a bench that offers a study in orthogonal lines and receding perspective. His posture and attire speak to the codes of gentility and social rank, while the natural backdrop—rendered with delicate hatching—suggests a cultivated landscape, a stage for aristocratic leisure. The dog, nestled at Wentworth's feet, is a conventional symbol of loyalty, yet its placement anchors the composition. Through Revere's mastery of line, we see not merely a portrait, but a structured assertion of identity and status within the visual rhetoric of his time.