Portraiture was used as a political strategy in 18th century Britain in three key ways: 1) Portraits gave women visibility and influence in the public sphere at a time when they traditionally had little political power. 2) Portraits were able to influence public decision-making and challenge prevailing social norms through their psychological impact on viewers and ability to associate sitters with certain ideas. 3) Artists used portraiture to expose social problems and communicate ideas of social reform, challenging the traditional functions of portraiture as a political tool.