Lucy, Mrs. Wheatley
1788
Francis Wheatley drew this tender portrait of his wife, Lucy, shortly after their marriage in 1787. She reclines in fashionable ease on a plush sofa, wearing a spectacularly ruffled bonnet and reading a letter with rapt attention. The image was turned into a colored print by engraver R. Manier, creating a soft, romantic glow typical of the era's 'Age of Sensibility.' It’s a charming glimpse into 18th-century domestic life, capturing a private moment of correspondence that was all the rage among the British elite.
- Technique
- Engraving