Lt. Col. John Small 1750 - 1794

James Tassie created this portrait of Lt. Col. John Small in glass paste. The overall visual experience is dominated by the stark contrast between the white cameo and the dark, framing border. The oval shape and the profile view are typical of Neoclassical portraiture, evoking a sense of classical restraint and order. Tassie’s deliberate choice of material and form is deeply intertwined with the Enlightenment’s fascination with classical antiquity. Glass paste, carefully molded and fired, mimics the appearance of marble, a material closely associated with ancient sculpture. The relief emphasizes line and form, reducing the subject to a series of elegant contours. The absence of color underscores the intellectual emphasis on rationality and ideal form. The portrait, therefore, functions as a signifier of status and intellect, aligning the sitter with the values of reason, order, and classical virtue. Yet, by choosing glass paste over marble, Tassie subtly destabilizes traditional hierarchies, offering a commentary on the democratization of art and knowledge during the Enlightenment. The work invites viewers to contemplate the interplay between representation, material, and the construction of identity.