Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, in a Straw Hat (1782-84). George Romney (English, 1734–18
Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, in a Straw Hat (1782-84). George Romney (English, 1734–1802). Oil on canvas. Huntington Library.The present portrait stands out for its suggestion of greater complexity in Emma’s character. Romney captures not only her womanly beauty, but also the childlike whimsy and coquettishness of a girl still in her teens. She has playfully turned her fine straw hat into a makeshift bonnet. The improvisation lends a rustic, pastoral air to her appearance, which she plays up by lowering her chin and raising a gaze of exaggerated innocence from beneath the hat’s shadow. -- source link
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