Joseph Donaldson 1776

This undated miniature of Joseph Donaldson was painted by Charles Willson Peale, using watercolor on ivory. Observe how Donaldson’s powdered wig and refined attire are not merely fashion statements, but potent symbols of status and intellect. Consider how this echoes the Renaissance practice of depicting figures with objects denoting their profession or lineage. The wig itself, derived from the court of Louis XIII, spread across Europe as an emblem of authority. Notice the subject’s calm and direct gaze. Such portraits were intended to convey the sitter's virtue and moral character, and recall ancient Roman portraiture that aimed to capture idealised likenesses of individuals in positions of power. The desire to immortalise oneself through art continues to exert its powerful pull on the human psyche, ensuring the cyclical return and reinvention of such images.