Sir Thomas Wharton c. 1770

This mezzotint print, “Sir Thomas Wharton,” was created by Valentine Green in the late 18th century. Green lived in a time of significant social change, with debates over class, status, and national identity shaping the cultural landscape. This portrait embodies the visual language of aristocracy and power, with Wharton portrayed in a stance of confident authority. Consider what it meant to be a man of status in the 1700s. Wharton’s attire speaks to notions of masculinity at the time: a refined, yet martial elegance. The landscape behind Wharton isn't a domestic interior, but a wild, mountainous terrain, hinting at the subject's dominion over nature. Green's print invites us to consider how portraiture functions as a tool for constructing and reinforcing social hierarchies. It prompts questions about who is deemed worthy of representation and how these images shape our understanding of power and identity.