Mrs. Cadwallader Colden 1746 - 1752

John Wollaston painted Mrs. Cadwallader Colden with oil on canvas. The composition presents a play of light and shadow, emphasizing the sitter's face and the intricate details of her attire against a dark background. This contrast draws our eye immediately to her serene expression. The painting's structure invites consideration of the codes of representation and the semiotics of portraiture in colonial America. Mrs. Colden’s clothing, meticulously rendered, is a visual signifier of status and virtue. The artist uses line and form to communicate both her individual likeness and her place within the social hierarchy. Wollaston's artistic technique invites reflection on how paintings construct meaning and negotiate cultural values. The portrait as a whole functions as a complex interplay of signs, reflecting the cultural values of its time.