Vrouw met een kanten halsband, pareloorbellen en diadeem 1760 - 1762

Thomas Frye made this mezzotint portrait of an unknown woman in 18th-century England. Its muted tones belie its radical technique, which allowed for an unprecedented range of shading. Frye was not formally trained in art, and his most notable innovation was to apply printmaking techniques he had learned as a porcelain painter, a craft itself in its relative infancy at this time. The woman’s elaborate lace collar, pearl earrings, and diadem point to aristocratic status, made accessible to a wider audience through the democratization of printmaking. It's easy to imagine these prints hanging in the homes of London's rising merchant class. Understanding the nuances of 18th-century society helps us interpret the piece beyond its surface. Contemporary fashion, class structures, and technological developments all shaped Frye's artistic choices. To truly understand the portrait, scholars might delve into records of the porcelain industry and the lives of London’s artisan classes.