Prospero and Miranda
ca. 1787
George Romney, best known for his glamorous portraits of Emma Hamilton, here tackles Shakespeare's *The Tempest* in this loose, energetic sketch. You can see Miranda, the young heroine, reaching up in awe towards her father, the magician Prospero, who looms large with a wild beard and a heavy, dark cloak. It looks like a quick study, capturing the drama of the moment before the paint ever touched the canvas. Romney was obsessed with literary subjects later in his career, trying to create a grand 'Shakespeare Gallery' that never quite fully materialized, leaving us with fascinating glimpses like this one.
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