Portrait of Thomas Flucker 1771

John Singleton Copley painted this portrait of Thomas Flucker using oil on canvas. Notice Flucker's wig. The style speaks volumes about status and societal expectations. Consider how powdered wigs, born from practical needs to combat hair and hygiene issues, evolved into symbols of authority. The elaborate curls and pristine white hue transformed into a signifier of the wearer's wealth. Wigs appear in portraits throughout history, from the elaborate styles of the French aristocracy to the more restrained versions seen here. These wigs became less about function and more about the statement they made. Think of the psychological weight these symbols carry. The wig becomes a mask, hiding the individual. The powdered wig, resurfaces in modern forms of dress, a subtle nod to the cyclical nature of fashion and the enduring human need to project an image of control.