Portrait Miniature, Probably of Mrs. Lydia Bradley, 1807

In a time before photography, portrait miniatures were priceless keepsakes. These detailed paintings that accurately depicted loved ones survive as documents of their time and place. This example reflects the importance of classical antiquity to early nineteenth-century Americans. The stylish subject's "classic" pose, hair, and dress signified the rebirth of democracy and representative government in the young American republic.