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Paintings

Mrs. Mary Robinson in the Character of a Nun

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Type
Paintings(Opens in new tab)
Date
ca. 1780
Accession number
2020.7
Maker
John Singleton Copley(Opens in new tab) (American, 1738–1815)
Dimensions
canvas: 26 3/4 × 23 1/2 in. (67.9 × 59.7 cm.) frame: 34 3/4 × 30 1/2 in. (88.3 × 77.5 cm.)
Medium
oil on canvas
Credit
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Art Collectors' Council, Adele S. Browning Memorial Art Fund, Schweppe Art Acquisitions Fund, Frances Crandall Dyke Art Acquisition Fund, and Kelvin Davis
Department
European Art
Find out more
View in the Art Museum catalog(Opens in new tab)
In this painting, Copley depicts the famous British actress Mary Robinson dressed for one of her stage roles, a character who wears a series of disguises, including that of a nun, to win the heart of her beloved. He paints her as an alluring figure—clearly not a nun—staring boldly out at the viewer with half-closed eyes and a sensual tilt to her head. The artist's skill at depicting texture appears in the crisp white gauze of her headdress, which in some areas is seen through a layer of sheer black net.

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