Mrs. Samuel Chandler by Chandler, Winthrop

Winthrop Chandler painted "Mrs. Samuel Chandler" around 1780. It is a portrait of Anna Paine Chandler Whitney, the artist's own relative, and it shows us exactly what a woman of quiet standing in post-Revolutionary New England wanted the world to see.

Look at the details Chandler prioritized as an ornamental painter: the crisp white lace of her cap, the delicate ribs of the open fan in her lap, and the horizontal striping of the brown silk gown. The billowy curtains and red-draped table were standard props of the era, but the care with which he rendered her dress is deeply personal.

Chandler mainly painted his family and neighbors in Connecticut. Because his work stayed local, many of his portraits remained with descendants for generations. But the survival of a painting on canvas is always a series of close calls with attics, neglect, and changing tastes.

Eventually, a descendant sold this portrait. It changed hands for a sum that places its past in stark perspective: just fifty dollars. A document of family ambition and a moment in 1780s fashion, valued at the price of a good pair of shoes.