Margaret Spear Smith c. 1800

Gilbert Stuart made this portrait of Margaret Spear Smith sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, likely in the United States. The image presents a demure, upper-class woman, her status underscored by her fashionable dress and surroundings. Stuart was one of the most sought-after portraitists of his time, especially known for his portraits of wealthy Americans like Margaret Spear Smith. To understand this painting, we can consider the function of portraiture in a young republic. Portraiture was a way for elites to assert and display their social standing, but also to help solidify a sense of national identity, and this piece contributes to that project. Historians studying this work could examine Stuart’s other portraits, along with letters and diaries from the period to better understand the social world that made such images so important. Art history is contingent on its context.