Portrait of a Woman 1775 - 1785

This delicate portrait was painted by Peter Adolf Hall, likely in the late 18th century, using watercolor on ivory. Miniatures like this were luxury objects, often worn as jewelry. The frame set with tiny diamonds around the portrait isn't just decorative; it emphasizes the sitter's wealth and status. Consider the labor involved. Hall would have needed meticulous skill to achieve such fine detail on a tiny scale. The ivory itself likely came from afar, a product of colonial trade. And the diamonds? Their extraction and setting involved a whole other network of labor, likely exploitative. This miniature isn't just a pretty face. It’s a window onto the material culture of its time, revealing the intricate connections between art, craftsmanship, and the global economy. By appreciating the materials and the making, we can see how even the most intimate objects are embedded in wider social and economic structures.