Portrait of Esther Ellison, née Walker 1726 - 1813

Joseph Wright of Derby painted this portrait of Esther Ellison, née Walker, in oil on canvas sometime in the 1700s. Wright was known for his portraits of members of the British middle class, and this is a fine example. Consider the visual codes in play here. Esther is adorned in the trappings of wealth and status; from her elaborate blue dress, complete with lace trim, to the carefully arranged bouquet of flowers she holds. But this isn't just about surface appearances. Wright was working in a period defined by its rigid class structure, with clear divides between the aristocracy and the working classes. As the industrial revolution progressed, new opportunities for wealth creation led to the emergence of a new class, one that had the money to commission art like this but, for the old aristocracy, lacked the pedigree. Portraits like this were a way for this new class to assert their position in society, and to participate in the art world that had previously been closed off to them. Social and institutional histories can give us insight into the meaning of art and the changing world that shaped it.