Art
In 1790, wealthy Philadelphia merchant John Nicholson commissioned this portrait of his wife Hannah and their young son. For families who could afford it, a painted portrait was a way to preserve their likeness and display their status and respectability to the world.
Art · Full story
Hannah sits composed in her finest silk gown, one hand resting gently on her son's shoulder. The boy stands beside her in a crisp linen suit, his gaze steady. The soft light catches the fabric of their clothes—the real expense and care behind this moment frozen in time.
Reflect
How do families today preserve and display images of themselves? What messages do those choices send?