Portrait, Ona Judge Staines

Details

Descriptive Terms

portraits
acrylic paint
newspapers
African American
portraits
Picture
Portrait
Portrait

Label

Artist Statement:
Ona "Oney" Judge Staines was a courageous and resilient woman who sought to make her own destiny and pave the way towards her freedom. This portrait of Ona Judge, a former slave of George and Martha Washington, is a depiction of Ona in her 20s following her escape to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where she is discovering her new way of life. This is my vision of her learning to take on the role of a free woman where she develops a strong and confident stature while holding her head high. Her posture and ambiguous facial expression portrays someone who has many secrets and stories yet to be revealed.

The composition and lighting is seen throughout the 18th and 19th century portraiture and is a quality that I wanted to convey in Onas painting. This is an expression of her life as both a former slave and her ability to fight for her freedom whose image can live on in the history of New England. The color palette of Onas portrait conveys a sense of peace and calmness that Ona brought to the people around her. With the warm glow behind her to represent a sense of light and hope that is present within her story of resilience and bravery. This glow that resonates from her and surrounded by darkness is symbolic to that of a candle in the night, this shows how Ona is lighting her own path and being her own guide to freedom.

Ona’s portrait was created with vibrant acrylic paints and various newspaper articles. There are no known images of Ona. Her story has been passed on and shared through that of newspapers which emphasizes the importance of the written word in this painting. The written word is a form of storytelling that can live on through the ages and emulates the idea that Ona has stories about her life that are told and untold. All of the newspapers were chosen deliberately to convey who Ona might have been during her life and the experiences that she might have gone through. I portrayed her in 1700s attire that is of higher quality in structure and design but has a worn-in appearance to show her hardships as a working class woman. The red in her shawl portrays the sense of strength and sacrifice that came with her escape as well as the feeling of love and loss for her family who was left behind. She has an incredible story of bravery and hardship that is inspiring to anyone who hears it. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity by Historic New England to bring this painting to life and to represent Ona as a light that will live on.

Additional Identification Number

TR2747.1
2024.35
1454

Maker

Michaud, Maya

Location of Origin

Falmouth, Maine

Dimensions

30 x 24 (HxW) (inches)

Credit Line

A Historic New England Artist Commission generously supported by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Accession Number

2024.35.1