Portrait Of A Lady by Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830)

Dust flown frills, mummy bandage blouse, the self cementing in plaster of paris — as oil wears, it comes back to itself: “there is no documentary evidence” to support this person’s identity.

Thomas Lawrence was considered to be a leading early 19th century portrait painter, creating work around “prominent members of fashionable society.”

[One of my favorite creative writing courses taught me how to use writing as living – to document the experience of a moment rather than attempting to interpret it. I am always faltering to follow this way of living in the ways I hope, but thought I’ll try an altered format with thoughts and details I gathered at the Wallace Collection.]