The Lady and the Queen Wasp 1780 - 1790

Editor: Here we have Francis Wheatley's "The Lady and the Queen Wasp," dating back to the 1780s or 90s. It's an ink, chalk, graphite, and watercolor drawing now at the Art Institute of Chicago. It's got this wonderfully intimate, almost voyeuristic quality. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, this takes me back! Remember the buzz surrounding powdered wigs and precarious social climbing back then? The 'Queen Wasp' of a lady, and her fluttery friend seem to be preparing for a social event. Note how Wheatley has placed the wasp motif both literally – see the insect near the window – and metaphorically in the two ladies present! I wonder, who do *you* think stings more sharply, the wasp on the pane, or these feathered femmes? Editor: It’s fascinating that the wasp, a tiny detail, suggests such a biting commentary. The mirror implies vanity too, maybe? Curator: Absolutely! But look closer: Is that vanity, or a calculated presentation? This drawing, while seemingly simple, mirrors the complex games women played in society back then. The entire era felt like an intricate drawing-room drama, don’t you think? Each character sharply observed and cleverly sketched... much like Wheatley's waspish ladies. Editor: So, it's not just a pretty picture, but a clever observation on social dynamics! Curator: Precisely. What seemed like a lovely morning scene contains within itself that critical note that good art introduces to conversation, doesn’t it? Makes you wonder who's got the real sting! Editor: Definitely gives a new layer to seeing it. Thanks for the insight. Curator: My pleasure! Art should make us buzz a little, shouldn’t it?