Lady with a Harp

Probably best known now as a painter of miniatures, Richard Cosway was equally famous in his own time for his "stained" drawings. These studies, which typically combine graphite or pen with a light "stain" of watercolor, highlight the artist's delicate drawing style. This image of an unknown woman demonstrates the quality of elegance for which Cosway's portrait drawings were sought and which made them suitable decoration for a refined interior. The thin, elongated lines of her body, echoed in the strings of the harp she plays, emphasize the figure's grace and poise. Such an instrument is an appropriate accessory for a well-bred lady. With her musical skills prominently displayed, she is the epitome of fashionable beauty and feminine accomplishment.