Mrs. Benjamin Schaum (Anna Maria Heckensweiler) 1808 - 1810

Jacob Eichholtz, working in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, painted this oil on panel portrait of Anna Maria Heckensweiler, who became Mrs. Benjamin Schaum. Eichholtz was an interesting figure, a self-taught painter who transitioned from sign painting to portraiture. This portrait gives us a glimpse into the world of women in early America. Anna Maria is depicted in profile, wearing the modest attire of the time, a bonnet and simple dress, signaling her role as a wife and homemaker. But what does it mean to be seen, to be captured in paint, especially as a woman in a time of constrained social roles? Does the painting preserve or challenge such constraints? In its own way, this portrait asks us to think about the gazes, both seen and unseen, that shape a woman's identity. It reflects the negotiations women make as they navigate their places within family and society.