Portrait of a Lady
We are all fascinated by portraits, gazing upon faces
from the past and admiring the sumptuous costumes.
What can these pictures reveal about the artist and
the model?
In our presentation, `Portrait of a Lady', we offer an enchanting insight
into the creation of beauty in the late 18th Century, as the
wealthy Lady Vane decides how best to be painted. Will she go for the
`Grecian statue' look, be a simpering shepherdess like Marie Antoinette,
or dazzle her admirers as a fairy-tale princess? All will depend on the
whims of fashion and the ambition of her painter. Fortunately, Betty,
her capable maid, is on hand to help dress her mistress in a beautiful
ensemble worthy of any artist's talents.
`Portrait of a Lady' illuminates the eternal quest to portray the ideal woman. It is inspired by contemporary paintings, journals and costume items, and shows the many exotic influences of royalty, archaeology and exploration on a fashionable beauty of the 1780s.