[title not known] 

Curator: This intriguing sketch comes to us from Elizabeth Rigby, born in 1809. The Tate holds this small pencil drawing in its collections. Editor: There's a stillness to it. The woman's profile, so precisely rendered, gives an air of quiet contemplation, almost melancholy, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. The bonnet, while decorative, feels like a symbol of enclosure. Perhaps it speaks to the restrictions placed on women of her time. The very minimal shading and sharp angles contribute to a feeling of constraint. Editor: Yet, see how Rigby uses line? The hatching behind the figure almost pushes her forward, toward us, defying that constraint. I'm struck by the precision of her gaze. Curator: It’s a powerful, albeit subtle, statement. It invites us to consider the silent narratives within portraits—the unspoken stories of women in the 19th century. Editor: A fascinating piece, indeed. It seems to embody both restraint and a quiet yearning.