Alexander Pope c. 19th century

This is James Barton Longacre’s engraving of Alexander Pope, although the date it was made isn’t known, Pope lived from 1688 to 1744. Here, Pope is the picture of erudition, an 18th-century intellectual. He is leaning on a book. The pose, with head in hand, mimics conventional representations of thoughtfulness and melancholy. But given the context of Pope’s life, does this image develop or maintain traditional representations? Pope lived during a time of rigid social structures in England, and was a Roman Catholic. English Catholics had limited civil rights and opportunities and were a minority in a largely Protestant society. Pope himself was no stranger to exclusion, and his identity played a central role in shaping his worldview. Although Pope gained fame and recognition in literary circles, this print is an intimate look at the intellectual as an individual. Longacre offers us a portrayal that is a complex interplay between public persona and personal identity.