Miss Julia Emily Gordon 1833

Editor: This is Sir David Wilkie's watercolor, Miss Julia Emily Gordon. She has this intriguing hat and is seated next to what looks like a large vase. What do you see in this portrait? Curator: The hat immediately strikes me. It is not just decorative; it suggests cultural aspirations. Consider the turban's historical associations with the Orient, power, and exoticism. Editor: So, it's not just a fashion statement? Curator: Precisely. It’s about self-fashioning through symbolic objects. Even the urn whispers of classical ideals and the sitter's refined sensibilities. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Curator: Indeed. Wilkie uses these symbols to tell a larger story about identity.