Portret van Thomas Newman c. 1745 - 1765

This is James McArdell's mezzotint portrait of Thomas Newman. McArdell, who died at just 36, was a master of the mezzotint technique, a process particularly well-suited to portraiture. Born into a world of rigid social hierarchies, Newman, as a reverend, occupied a distinct position within 18th-century society. This portrait gives us insight into the visual rhetoric of power of the time. The powdered wig, the clerical garb, and the formal pose all speak to Newman’s status and profession. Yet, if we look closer, we can also see the imprint of individual character. There’s a certain plainness in Newman's features, a directness in his gaze, that complicates the otherwise conventional image of authority. McArdell's skill invites us to consider not just the sitter's status, but his humanity. What does it mean to see a person, rather than just an office?