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A beautiful responsive image

Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, c. 1761 - 1815, as 'The Spinstress'

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London | CC BY-NC-ND

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Date

late 18th/ early 19th century

Artist

After George Romney (1734-1802)

Collection

Royal Museums Greenwich

Image Link

https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-41992

Description

Oval miniature in watercolour in an oval gilt-metal beaded surround set in a black-lacquered backing board with damaged applied gilt-moulded gesso decoration. It probably originally had a brass suspension-ring hanger, top centre, but this is now missing. The sitter is shown bust-length, fully turned to her left and looking back over her right shoulder to the viewer. She is dressed all in white including a long shawl draped over her head and back over her right shoulder. The background is neutral warm two-tone stone colour, the vertical dividing line corresponding with the architectural background of Romney's original painting.Emma Hart - as she then was- was Romney's favourite model and he painted her many times before she left England for Naples in 1786, and later from studies. This miniature is a partial copy of the portrait of her called 'The Spinstress', painted for her lover and protector Charles Greville in about 1784-85, which shows her seated working at a spinning wheel in an outdoor setting. The original painting is now in the Iveagh Bequest at Kenwood House, Hampstead, London (English Heritage). It has now (2013) been suggested that the artist of this item may be Richard or Maria Cosway, or at least that it is in their manner: this remains to be further investigated.

Image Licence

CC BY-NC-ND

Image Credit

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

Location

London, England

Country

Medium

Tags

Portraits
People

Category

People & Society

Glossary
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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform