1801
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Peg Woffington is a 1801 ink by British 19th Century, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a brown-toned portrait of a woman. She’s dressed in a high-necked, ruffled dress with lace at the collar and cuffs. Her hair is pulled back, and she wears a small headpiece with ribbons. The background is plain, so all the focus stays on her face and shoulders. The lines are scratchy and detailed, like they were made by a sharp tool. This kind of texture is typical of certain printmaking methods. Look up etching to see how artists create these kinds of rich, detailed lines.
This artist’s short life left behind a quiet obsession with water—whether the churn of a mill wheel, the choppy waves off England’s south coast, or the way light bounces off pond lilies.
See the richer artist page
