Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton (Mrs. William Thornton)
1804
Gilbert Stuart, the man famous for painting George Washington's face on the dollar bill, captured the elegance of early American high society in this 1804 portrait. Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton sits gracefully in a red velvet chair, her dark curls pinned up with a delicate gold band, while clutching what appears to be sheet music—a nod to her reputation as a talented musician. Dressed in a flowing white empire-waist gown typical of the Neoclassical era, she gazes out with a calm, confident expression against a backdrop of rich purple drapery and a gilded mirror. It’s a perfect snapshot of Washington D.C.'s cultural elite just a few years after the capital was established.