Lady Hamilton as the Comic Muse, Thalia (1791, Met-Objekt 6079)
Original title: Lady Hamilton as the Comic Muse, Thalia
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike the usual muse portraits of its day, this 1791 sheet by Raphael Morghen gives Lady Hamilton a double part: she appears as Thalia, the muse of comedy, carrying a theatrical mask with her. The elegantly cut gown and the comic mask echo her famous Attitudes without simply repeating them. The engraving pairs a classical role with a touch of stage irony.
Description
Light, noble drapery with a marked belt wraps the figure, while a mask with a comic expression rests in her hand. That contrast with the sitter's dignified bearing shapes the whole arrangement. The eye moves first to the woman's face, then to the expressive mask. Precise lines record the folds of cloth and the details of the mask.
Context
Lady Hamilton often served George Romney as model and muse, and many portraits grew out of that connection. The Italian Raphael Morghen made this print after a painting in the tradition of allegorical portraiture. In 1791, the year it was made, Lady Hamilton was living in Naples, already known there for her Attitudes.
Impact
Elegance and theatricality run through the sheet, underscoring the sitter's double role as muse and performer. The calm pose and the humorous mask set up a tension that nonetheless settles into a harmonious whole.
Technique
The sheet is an engraving, an intaglio process in which the lines are cut into a copper plate. This is the second state of two, which suggests the plate was reworked after the first pull. Fine lines and hatching produce a detailed rendering of fabric and facial features.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)