Henry Gibbs (1709-1759) 1747

Curator: John Greenwood painted this portrait of Henry Gibbs, who lived from 1709 to 1759. It currently resides at the Harvard Art Museums. My first thought is: what a study in colonial masculinity. Editor: Indeed. The rather formal attire, the powdered wig, the pursed lips. All familiar symbols of status and control. Curator: We have to understand this image through the lens of power structures that privileged men like Gibbs, situated as they were within a specific socio-economic context. What does this portrait tell us about the ideals he was expected to embody? Editor: Well, the somber colors certainly speak to restraint and gravitas. The oval frame and his centered composition give him the aura of stability. I am particularly drawn to his carefully coiffed hair; it's a symbol of his commitment to order and tradition. Curator: How do we reconcile that order with the realities of the time, the social unrest, the exploitation inherent in colonial life? To what extent does this portrait sanitize a more complex reality? Editor: Perhaps it's about aspiration as much as representation, an idealized image he wanted to project. It's interesting how symbols can both reveal and conceal. Curator: Precisely. It makes me wonder how history will judge our current modes of self-representation. Editor: A sobering thought, and a fitting end to our discussion.