Thomas Gainsborough, Study
for a portrait of a Lady with a rose, a
drawing
England, about AD 1763-65
In this large-scale drawing, the lady is seen
in profile, holding a rose in her right hand. Although her features
are visible under her broad-brimmed hat, the purpose of the drawing
would seem to be a study of the drapery and pose for a portrait.
Her feet are gracefully poised below a full-length skirt, which she
lifts on one side in a casual and tantalizing fashion, revealing
the different and complex layers of her costume. The background and
the few leaves and blades of grass in the foreground are sketched
in lightly.
The white chalk
is used to indicate the light falling on her lacy sleeves, apron
and outer costume, and to highlight the pearls on the choker around
her neck and the petals of the rose. The black chalk provides a
strong contrast to the shadows and firmer outlines of the forms of
the drapery.
Many scholars
have suggested that this delicately drawn figure may be a
preparatory study for the beautiful portrait of Mary, Countess Howe
(Kenwood House, London), in which she wears a similar hat, pearl
necklace and lacy dress. The elongated height of the figure and her
long limbs may be the result of Gainsborough drawing from a
costumed doll rather than a living model.
J. Hayes and L. Stainton, Gainsborough drawings (Washington International Exhibitions Foundation, 1983)
M. Rosenthal, The art of Gainsborough: a lit (New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1999)
A. French (ed.), The Earl and Countess Howe, by, exh. cat. (Kenwood House, London)