The term was first popularized early in the 21st century and in 2012 sexting was added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. But I think it may be a lot older than that.
I found that Sarah Goodridge sent a painted sexting miniature in a leather case to the recently widowed United States senator Daniel Webster in 1828.
The painting is a selfie of her pale breasts encircled by a swirl of cloth framed in a red box.
I don't know if she sent it around Valentine's Day, but it would make a pretty erotic one.
Sarah took a tradition of “eye miniatures” up several notches. Eye miniatures (which possibly began with one sent by George IV to Maria Anne Fitzherbert) were your eyes painted on small sheets of ivory. The idea was that the miniature painting would be a way to still stare into your lover's eye even when they were away.
Sarah's painting does somewhat resemble eyes, and it was a substitute for being able to gaze into her breasts, which I assume he had seen in person.
Sarah’s relationship with Webster had begun in 1827 and continued until his death in 1852. It's not clear what their relationship entailed. They only saw each other infrequently. He did visit her in Boston a few times. He also paid her to paint portraits of his family. That sounds awkward.
After the death of Webster's first wife, Sarah visited him. But he married someone else and when he separated from his second wife, Sarah visited again.
Did they ever have sex? That sexting selfie painting certainly seemed like an invitation.
The painting is called "Beauty Revealed." Like many sexted photos, it was not a self-portrait. It's just her breasts.
Webster kept the painting his entire life and then it was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by his descendants.
Sarah Goodridge remained single all her life.
No comments:
Post a Comment