Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland (1683–1716) 1705 - 1715

Curator: The delicacy of this portrait is really striking. It’s a bust of Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland, crafted from ivory sometime between 1705 and 1715 by David Le Marchand. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how this ivory, so smoothly worked, manages to convey such an impression of reserved sadness, almost like a caged bird observing the world through melancholic eyes. Curator: Absolutely. Le Marchand's mastery shines through in the subtle modeling. See the soft turn of her head, the gentle drape of her garment. The artist was a favorite amongst the aristocracy, particularly in England. He transformed what could be quite formal portraiture into intimate character studies. Editor: Yes, note how the composition subtly draws attention to the material, too—ivory not as inert substance, but animated—how Le Marchand renders her skin with a smoothness that mirrors the polished surface. Is that an aesthetic device to draw the gaze, or does the polished surface hold deeper meaning in portraying the Countess? Curator: It certainly makes one consider texture. He’s played with it brilliantly: the sleek skin against the defined folds of her clothing, for example. Maybe Le Marchand intended to convey that while the Countess presented this composed outer appearance to the world, beneath lay an undercurrent of... depth. A complex inner life. Editor: Precisely, a dual reading is made manifest by contrasting material. And speaking of layering and depths, you have her dark ebony stand too...its color serves as an optical anchor for the cream ivory and amplifies her presence by way of color association: stark white versus deep black creates depth in tone just like how Anne appears deep within her somber composure. Curator: A stunning choice, visually. The Countess, and this piece overall, seems to transcend a mere physical likeness. We are left contemplating identity, permanence, the burdens carried in high society – frozen as moments in a baroque tableau. Editor: Indeed, more than a static bust, Le Marchand created a study of material tension in which texture, structure and symbol converged within an evocative vision for us all.