Mrs. Mary Robinson in the Character of a Nun

Maker John Singleton Copley (American, 1738 - 1815)

Additional Title(s)

Portrait of a Lady wearing a Nun's habit seated before a stone column

Collections

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Dateca. 1780

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionscanvas: 26 3/4 × 23 1/2 in. (67.9 × 59.7 cm.) frame: 34 3/4 × 30 1/2 in. (88.3 × 77.5 cm.)

InscribedInscribed on the stretcher: Bolsover No 21

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Art Collectors' Council, Adele S. Browning Memorial Art Fund, Schweppe Art Acquisitions Fund, Frances Crandall Dyke Art Acquisition Fund, and Kelvin Davis

Label TextIn this painting, Copley depicts the famous British actress Mary Robinson dressed for one of her stage roles, a character who wears a series of disguises, including that of a nun, to win the heart of her beloved. He paints her as an alluring figure — clearly not a nun — staring boldly out at the viewer with half-closed eyes and a sensual tilt to her head. The artist's skill at depicting texture appears in the crisp white gauze of her headdress, which in some areas is seen through a layer of sheer black net.

Status

On view

Object number2020.7