Rachel Marshall

Rachel Marshall

Unidentified Artist 
Boston, Massachusetts circa 1790
Oil on canvas
76.80.1
Gift of Mrs. Franklin E. Campbell

Breaking from traditional portrait positioning, Rachel Marshall confronts her viewers straight on rather than at an angle. Portraits served many purposes, not the least of which were to convince the viewer of the sitter’s character. By positioning a subject in certain ways, artists could influence the viewer’s perception of the subject. Here Rachel almost demands the viewer’s attention with her direct eye contact and frontal positioning.