Woman Playing a Cittern c. 1770

Nathaniel Dance-Holland rendered this drawing of a woman playing a cittern in the 18th century. The sitter’s identity remains a mystery, yet she exudes the confidence of a woman of means, adorned in fashionable dress. The cittern, a popular instrument among the English gentry, signifies her education and cultural refinement. Dance-Holland, born into a family of artists, enjoyed a successful career as a portrait painter. His artistic talent coincided with the rise of the British Empire and the expansion of its colonial power. As portraiture served as a tool for projecting status and power, Dance-Holland’s art became entwined with the social hierarchies of his time. Consider how the representation of women in art often reinforced societal expectations. While the woman in this drawing possesses a certain agency through her musical talent, we must also ask whether she is performing a role dictated by the male gaze. This work offers a glimpse into the complex interplay between gender, class, and artistic representation in 18th-century Britain.