Mrs. Richard Patteshall (Martha Woody) and child

The painting titled Mrs. Richard Patteshall (Martha Woody) and child exemplifies Baroque artistic influence with its rich detail and dynamic composition. Created in colonial New England, it captures a maternal moment, highlighting social status and familial bonds. The artist, Thomas Smith, is notable as a sailor, slave trader, and the creator of the earliest known American self-(portrait) from the 17th century. His involvement in the slave trade and colonial commerce provides a complex historical backdrop, contrasting the intimate depiction with broader themes of power and enterprise characteristic of the Baroque era.