Cameo of a Gentleman 1847 - 1850

Erastus Dow Palmer crafted this cameo of a gentleman out of plaster, a technique evocative of classical antiquity, reborn in 19th century America. The profile portrait, a tradition stretching back to ancient coins and imperial busts, presents more than just a likeness; it is an emblem of status and enduring memory. Note the clean, unbroken line of the silhouette. This echoes the Roman obsession with idealized forms, where the individual was subsumed into the archetype of the noble citizen. Consider this in light of the Renaissance revival of classical learning, when portraiture became a tool to immortalize the sitter. In the grand theatre of history, the cameo becomes a mask, donned to project power and virtue across the ages. The desire for immortality, mirrored in each carefully carved line, is a shared human drama.