Nearly all of the old plantation houses we visited on this journey were filled with massive amounts of Victorian furnishings. However Oakley Plantation was the exception. Its rooms have been restored in the style of the late Federal Period (1790-1830), reflecting their appearance when John James Audubon visited the home in 1821. This image captures the understated essence of the place itself. A dignified portrait, placed just off center over an elegant Empire sofa, dominated the room. I chose to include only the top of the sofa, comparing its graceful curve to the rigidity of the rectangular gilded frame enclosing an oil painting of a thoughtful young woman. The geometric relationship of the abstracted sofa and the portrait creates a sense of tension that seems almost hypnotic.