Lady Smith and her Children 1789

Francesco Bartolozzi created this stipple engraving of Lady Smith and her Children. The portrait captivates with its delicate tonality achieved through Bartolozzi's expert use of fine dots and lines, a hallmark of the stipple technique. The composition arranges Lady Smith and her children in a pyramidal structure, lending a sense of classical stability. The textures, meticulously rendered, range from the soft plumes of Lady Smith’s hat to the smooth skin of her children, creating a visual and tactile richness. Bartolozzi masterfully uses light and shadow to define forms and evoke a gentle, sentimental atmosphere, typical of the late 18th-century aesthetic. This engraving invites us to consider the values and cultural codes of its time, where representations of family and motherhood were idealized. It serves not only as a portrait but also as a cultural artifact, reflecting societal ideals through its formal qualities and the artist’s technical skill.