Jonathan Belcher (1681/82-1757) c. 18th century

Curator: Here we have an early 18th-century portrait, thought to be by Thomas Hudson, depicting Jonathan Belcher. It strikes me immediately as a study in ambition. Editor: Yes, the pointing finger, the globe, the suggestion of landscape… all point to Belcher’s worldly aspirations, and maybe a touch of arrogance. But I am more interested in the materiality here; the somber palette is typical of the time, but the layering suggests perhaps frugality from the artist, or patron. It is quite a large canvas. Curator: Frugality perhaps, but I see those symbols as powerful statements. Belcher’s gaze, combined with the globe, speaks volumes about colonial aspirations. I wonder if he commissioned it to project authority back in the colonies. Editor: Or perhaps to signal his erudition. It is interesting to consider the commerce around pigment at that moment. The price of blue, for example, may have placed it beyond his reach. The limitations of artistic materials often dictated the message as much as the patron’s desires. Curator: That’s a compelling point. It grounds the symbolism in a very real, economic landscape. Editor: Indeed. Seeing it this way enriches our understanding.