Mrs. Michael Taney (Monica Brooke) 1767 - 1770

Curator: Here we have "Mrs. Michael Taney (Monica Brooke)," a portrait from between 1767 and 1770 by Charles Willson Peale. It's part of the collection here at the Met. Editor: My initial thought is that this painting, with its understated beauty, whispers of a contained era. A little like a porcelain doll gazing back at you across centuries. There is an aura of sadness to her. Curator: It is a very somber tone, but this oval format and the application of paint are typical of Peale, a very productive member of the early American art world. Considering his family’s craftsmanship history, you can observe his attempt to challenge traditional boundaries between artisan work and elite artistry. Editor: Yes, that domestic, handmade feel contrasts beautifully with the upper-class feel of the sitter. One could easily imagine that brooch being made with love by a relative. There’s an interesting tension between industry and intimacy. Does she even *want* to be portrayed for us like that? It feels stolen somehow, that emotion. Curator: Well, this was likely commissioned as a signifier of social standing; portraiture was a lucrative and highly competitive genre in that period. So there is definitely an interplay of commerce, social visibility and intimate individual identity involved. But the craft itself is not divorced from social hierarchy: access to materials, quality of tools, and patronage all dictated production and influenced aesthetic values. Editor: That's very true, and it really hits home here; despite the fact that she’s trapped within these social conditions, she remains real. One could make all kinds of stories based on her pose, her attire and the whole artistic decisions of her portraitist. Curator: Exactly, and focusing on materials lets us understand how art production can affect our knowledge of social production and vice versa. Editor: Well, she may have a tragic or fascinating story, who knows? For me, she has some lessons about how far beauty can come if you use a minimal of ingredients to portray it.