Joseph Barrell, Jr. (1765-1801) 1790

This miniature portrait of Joseph Barrell, Jr., was made by Nathaniel Hancock around the late 18th century. Encased in a locket, this intimate portrait embodies the enduring human desire to preserve memory. The circular frame is not merely decorative, it is symbolic. Throughout history, the circle has represented eternity, wholeness, and the cyclical nature of life. We see it echoed in ancient sun disks and halos of saints, each a variation on the theme of unending return and the divine. The blue enamel, reminiscent of lapis lazuli, lends an aura of preciousness and immortality, invoking the heavens and the infinite. Consider how the locket transforms the man it depicts into a symbolic object, a talisman against the ravages of time. This small, personal object becomes a vessel of remembrance, carrying the weight of emotions across generations. Like an ancient icon, its power lies not only in its beauty but in its ability to evoke powerful emotional responses, connecting us to the past through the enduring language of symbols.