Mary O'Donnell 1791

Charles Willson Peale painted this portrait of Mary O'Donnell. Note the cherries in her small hands. Cherries, symbols of paradise, love, and temptation, were often depicted in portraits of children during the Renaissance. Think of the Christ child, an infant Eve with her forbidden fruit. The image of cherries evokes both innocence and a subtle awareness of life’s fleeting joys, and a sense of youthful playfulness, while also hinting at the complexities of adulthood. This intertwining of symbols reminds us of the continuous dance between innocence and experience, youth and maturity, and the joys and tribulations of life. Like the ouroboros, an ancient symbol that represents cyclicality, the cherry reminds us that life progresses in a non-linear, cyclical fashion. This symbol has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.