Portrait of Olive Craster 1762

Nathaniel Dance-Holland painted this oil on canvas portrait of Olive Craster, likely in England, sometime in the late 18th century. Portraits like this were very fashionable amongst the emerging middle classes, solidifying their status through the patronage of the arts. Notice the sitter’s calm expression and elegant dress; these were visual codes for the sitter's high social standing. But what’s also striking is the young woman holding a pet squirrel on a lead. Keeping squirrels as pets was, surprisingly, a fashionable trend for women of this era. The squirrel indicates the sitter's wealth and also her gentility. Historians consult a wide range of sources to understand the customs and fashions of the past. By investigating the visual codes in paintings like this, we gain insight into the social and cultural values of 18th-century England. The popularity of portraiture reveals a society deeply invested in status, class, and self-representation.