Dolly Varden c. 1842 - 1849

Curator: This is William Powell Frith's "Dolly Varden." Look how she emerges from the woods, all charm and rosy cheeks. Editor: It has a kind of theatrical sweetness, doesn't it? Like a stage set, almost too perfectly composed to be nature. Curator: She is named after a character in Dickens's "Barnaby Rudge," embodying a certain ideal of youthful, fashionable innocence. Her attire, the hat, the shawl, are all part of the Dolly Varden craze. Editor: Absolutely, I see that now. A costume signifying a specific cultural moment. Like a painted advertisement for a feeling. A pretty and shallow one? Curator: Perhaps, but Frith captured the zeitgeist. The way we use clothing to project identity. I still find her gaze inviting, innocent maybe, but magnetic. Editor: An intriguing piece, hinting at the complexities of appearance and cultural obsession. What a curious subject. Curator: Indeed, something to ponder beyond the pretty face.