3-002-521 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of a Lady, c1780-1789. This unidentified, fashionably dressed woman wishes to be represented, above all, as a student of ancient culture. On the table next to a sheet of music is a cabinet with casts of ancient carved gems, which were often collected along with - or instead of - the actual gems; for the serious student, even one such as the sitter who is armed with a magnifying glass, casts bring out details that hard to see in the original carving. Also, they could be duplicated as a set for those with scholarly interests but without the means to acquire the originals. In addition, the lady wears a portrait miniature of a gentleman (her deceased husband, father, or teacher?). The portrait is painted in the new neoclassical style, which emphasizes clearly delineated forms.