George Puleston (?) c. 1625 - 1630

Editor: So here we have "George Puleston(?)" by John Souch, painted sometime before 1644. There's a formality to this portrait that makes me curious about what he wants us to see. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The formality is a performance, isn’t it? The lace, the gilded doublet—visual markers of status in a society obsessed with appearances. But look at the eyes, the slightly pursed lips. I feel a deep melancholy, a man trapped by the very trappings he displays. What do you think he's trying to hide? Editor: That's a really interesting angle. I was so focused on the showiness of it all! Curator: Portraits often reveal as much about the artist and the era as they do about the sitter. Perhaps Souch sensed this internal conflict and immortalized it. Editor: I'll definitely look at portraits differently now, thinking about what's hidden beneath the surface.