Miss Caroline Fry

Curator: Here we have Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait of Miss Caroline Fry, held here at the Tate. Editor: The impasto of the red shawl is what grabs me first. Look at the texture! You can almost feel the weight of the fabric. Curator: Lawrence was renowned for his ability to capture the likeness and social standing of his sitters; portraiture was a critical tool for constructing identity. Editor: And you can really see that here. It's a Romantic sensibility, but the way that the paint is layered on feels almost proto-Impressionistic to me. It's about the feel of the material as much as the status of the sitter. Curator: The painting definitely speaks to the evolving role of women in society during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, reflecting changing ideals of beauty and femininity. Editor: It makes you consider who made the paint and textiles, and what their lives were like in comparison. Curator: A compelling perspective, indeed. Editor: It’s always there, isn't it?