Oil on canvas.The fact that this lady is painted alone panders to the popularity of Victorian images of solitary female figures. The painting is at once a portrait and a celebration of female beauty. Female beauty was much prized in the 19th Century. For the first time, large numbers of pictures were painted whose sole raison d’źtre was a depiction of such beauty; not so much in the form of specific portraiture, but more as a homage to feminine beauty in its own right. The dreamlike gaze adds an element of romanticism.The entire work has been painted with great skill and precision with the artist carefully observing the face and hands. The treatment of the fabrics is outstanding, notably the white silk with the floral pattern, and the fluid handling and beautiful rendering shows all the vigour and style of the Victorian portrait. This tender portrayal of femininity and idealised beauty is exceptionally appealing and the finest example of the artist’s work that we have enc...