Sir James Gray, Second Baronet 1744

Rosalba Carriera made this pastel portrait of Sir James Gray, Second Baronet, probably sometime in the first half of the 18th century. At this time, pastel was becoming an increasingly popular medium, lending itself to the soft, flattering images that elite patrons desired. Carriera was Venetian, but she traveled widely and spent a year in Paris, where her work had a big influence. Here we see the trappings of the British aristocracy: the powdered wig, the elegant dark coat, the hint of a blue sash. The image speaks to a very particular social class that was consolidating its power at this time. As historians, we can research the institutions and social structures that supported this elite, such as the system of hereditary titles that made Gray a Baronet. Pastel portraits such as these are invaluable resources for understanding the culture of 18th-century Europe.