Miss Ramus 1765 - 1775

This portrait of Miss Ramus was made by John Smart, likely in England, towards the close of the 18th century. It's rendered in delicate washes of watercolor on ivory. These miniature portraits had a distinct social function, circulating amongst family members, or given as tokens of affection. Smart was a leading artist in this genre, and his success speaks to the growing importance of sentiment in British culture at the time. One might consider Miss Ramus herself, and the conditions that allowed for her to be memorialized in this way. What did it mean to have one's likeness taken? What did it mean to be remembered? Art historians use a range of resources to understand the cultural meaning of images like this, including letters, diaries, and account books. Through this kind of research, we are able to understand more fully the social world that made this image possible.