A Private Drawing

This drawing of Mrs. Eyre is different from that of many portraits. This drawing would have been meant for private, not public viewing. This is evident both from it being a drawing and from the way that the woman is represented. She is facing her harpsichord so that she is focused on her music, not the viewer. The harpsichord, and the prestige that owning one gave to the family, is not emphasized, as it is in most portraits. The enjoyment that this woman gains from her music is shown by her concentration on the sheets of music. Furthermore, her position of sitting with her legs crossed is a sign of comfort which would not have been painted in most portraits (Leppert, 160).

Paul Sandby, Mrs. Eyre, © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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