Mrs. James Bleecker (Sarah Bache) 1790 - 1800

Editor: This is a portrait of Mrs. James Bleecker, Sarah Bache, painted between 1790 and 1800 by John Ramage. It’s a miniature watercolor piece, and it feels very intimate. What stands out to you most about this work? Curator: The intimacy you feel is quite intentional. Portrait miniatures like this served a very specific social function in the late 18th century, a function deeply tied to notions of identity and status. Given that it depicts Sarah Bache, consider her familial connections. Does that name ring a bell? Editor: Hmm, Bache…was her family wealthy merchants? I’m not entirely sure. Curator: Her father was Benjamin Franklin. This wasn't simply a likeness, but a powerful signifier of familial connection and social standing. This watercolor demonstrates the aspirations of elite women in the early Republic, as well as their navigation of social life and gender roles. Does knowing this inform your understanding of the work? Editor: Definitely. Knowing she was Franklin's daughter makes me wonder how she used her social position, what activism, if any, she undertook. How did this image function in shaping and conveying her identity? Curator: Precisely! It acted as a portable symbol of her identity. It invites a critical look at the construction of identity during this pivotal era in American history. Are we really seeing the individual, Sarah Bache, or a carefully crafted image of womanhood in service of patriarchal society? Editor: I learned a lot by considering gender and class! I'll be looking for historical contexts more carefully now. Curator: Agreed. It reveals how art is entangled with history, ideology and the politics of representation.