Dimensions: support: 327 x 241 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is "A Lady," a drawing by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Kneller, who lived from 1646 to 1723, was a leading portrait painter in England. Editor: It's striking how modern it feels. The economy of line lends the subject such an air of vulnerability, almost as if she's caught in a moment of contemplation. Curator: Indeed. The unfinished quality adds to that feeling. The brown paper support also functions as a grounding element, a connection to the earth. It emphasizes the subject's human aspect rather than any idealized representation. Editor: I see the subject's gaze directed off to the side, which makes you wonder what caught her attention. Perhaps it's a subtle statement about the limited agency of women during the period? Curator: Interesting thought. I am drawn to the hint of red in her lips and ear, like a blush. The symbols of beauty have had consistent yet evolving meanings. Editor: It makes me consider how portraiture, even in its unfinished state, always negotiates power dynamics. Curator: Well, I'm left pondering the enduring symbolic role of the portrait. Editor: And I'm struck by how it invites us to reimagine those historical contexts.
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Most of Kneller?s drawings were made in connection with his painted portraits. At a client?s first sitting in the studio, he would make a chalk study of the head. This would then be transferred, probably by eye, to canvas. The drawing was more an aid than a pattern to be copied exactly, and the client would return for further sittings. Kneller ran a large and influential studio from his house in the Piazza, Covent Garden, and from around 1703 in nearby Great Queen Street. His use of preliminary drawings seems to have been followed by other artists. Gallery label, September 2004
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