Excellent website that I've run across several times doing genealogical research and to be able to understand it's full potential through this video only makes it more intriguing, especially when explaining potential meaning within the paintings themselves. I tended to look into the faces attempting to capture the soul of the portrait rather than culturally decipher it in any meaningful way. I'll have to play with the site to look through the ability to link together patterns that have been highlighted. Contrasting these Virginian portraits with those of other colonial states, the artist and the use of props such as the doll, imaginary dresses...interesting stuff in this video. For all the talk of Virginian attempts at aping English aristocrats by some modern day historians, looking at these paintings, we see a much more somber and business like quality to the paintings in regards to male dress as a whole with a touch of fantasy for the women. There is a corporate quality to the portaits. I know that in Virginia, the wives weren't usually locked away from regular plantation life but were front and center in playing managerial roles, especially in regards to slaves in the house for domestic duties. There were English visitors to Virginia that remarked on the heavy use of slaves for all manner of house servant roles, in line with an open host culture for regular entertaining of visitors and guests. Regarding the female Moseley portrait of Susanna, while it is unknown, I remember reading somewhere, perhaps in an article on the somewhat recent exhibition of William Moseley's (Jr) portrait that the Moseley paintings all together came from an unknown Dutch artist from their time in the Netherlands engaging in merchant trade before coming to Virginia, these portraits being the earliest known to physically reside in Virginia, though surely there would of likely been earlier portraits in the young colony. Interesting side note, Susanna Moseley's portrait shows jewelry which she later traded for livestock (I believe on or two cows) and other goods with a neighbor, highlighted in a document from the time. She is a direct ancestor so I've enjoyed digging through Moseley history. Anyways, great site, video and now I need to go back and look at the portraits again with a new eye.
This is great, thanks for sharing
Excellent website that I've run across several times doing genealogical research and to be able to understand it's full potential through this video only makes it more intriguing, especially when explaining potential meaning within the paintings themselves. I tended to look into the faces attempting to capture the soul of the portrait rather than culturally decipher it in any meaningful way. I'll have to play with the site to look through the ability to link together patterns that have been highlighted.
Contrasting these Virginian portraits with those of other colonial states, the artist and the use of props such as the doll, imaginary dresses...interesting stuff in this video. For all the talk of Virginian attempts at aping English aristocrats by some modern day historians, looking at these paintings, we see a much more somber and business like quality to the paintings in regards to male dress as a whole with a touch of fantasy for the women. There is a corporate quality to the portaits.
I know that in Virginia, the wives weren't usually locked away from regular plantation life but were front and center in playing managerial roles, especially in regards to slaves in the house for domestic duties. There were English visitors to Virginia that remarked on the heavy use of slaves for all manner of house servant roles, in line with an open host culture for regular entertaining of visitors and guests.
Regarding the female Moseley portrait of Susanna, while it is unknown, I remember reading somewhere, perhaps in an article on the somewhat recent exhibition of William Moseley's (Jr) portrait that the Moseley paintings all together came from an unknown Dutch artist from their time in the Netherlands engaging in merchant trade before coming to Virginia, these portraits being the earliest known to physically reside in Virginia, though surely there would of likely been earlier portraits in the young colony.
Interesting side note, Susanna Moseley's portrait shows jewelry which she later traded for livestock (I believe on or two cows) and other goods with a neighbor, highlighted in a document from the time. She is a direct ancestor so I've enjoyed digging through Moseley history.
Anyways, great site, video and now I need to go back and look at the portraits again with a new eye.
Thank you! I missed this lecture because of technical difficulties and I really enjoyed it here!