The Power of a Portrait

This is one of my favorite paintings from our trip. We compared this portrait of Revere to other portraits of men. Revere was the only one not shown in a getlemans coat. His family thought this made him look like a worker and were so embarassed by it that they hid it in the attic! But his lack of coat is actually making a political statement. There wasn’t supposed to be linen in America unless it was imported. The ladies of Boston objected to this and made linen anyway. By wearing this fabric he’s honoring this act of defiance and using it as a symbol of his country’s freedom.