Fine 18th century English portrait of a lady in a chartreuse silk dress trimmed with lace attributed to Thomas Bardwell (1704-1767).The elegant sitter is seated three-quarter-length, and she shimmers in the highly fashionable brightly coloured silk clothing of the period. Her silk dress is full skirted with a low neckline and she wears this over a lace trimmed chemise which reveals her décolletage. Holding a book in one hand, she leans upon on a marble topped table and gazes away from the viewer as if lost in thought, with the most sensitive of expressions. The sun sets on an extensive landscape behind her, as a single pearl drop earring catches the light. The 18th century is often considered the period when the novel truly established itself as a major literary genre. Authors like Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, Henry Feilding and Laurence Sterne were instrumental in shaping the novel''s development, experimenting with new narrative techniques and exploring diverse them...