Portret van Maria Cosway Possibly 1785

Editor: This is a print entitled "Portret van Maria Cosway," likely from 1785, by Francesco Bartolozzi. It's got this delicate, almost dreamy quality about it...a stillness that's quite captivating. What captures your attention most when you look at this portrait? Curator: Ah, Maria Cosway! She’s more than just a pretty face under that feathery hat, you know. The delicacy you mention – it’s a hallmark of Bartolozzi's engraving style, of course, mimicking the soft lines of a drawing. But what sings to me is the *suggestion* of a story. Look how she’s posed – relaxed, but poised, almost like a character paused between scenes in a play. Don't you feel like there’s an entire world of salon gatherings and whispered secrets just outside the frame? Editor: Absolutely! I feel that "suggestion of a story" - maybe because of the book laying open beside her. Do you think the open book is significant? Is it meant to tell us something specific about her? Curator: Perhaps. Back then, depicting someone with a book signalled intellect and refinement. Think of it as the 18th-century equivalent of flashing your PhD! But, playfully, maybe she just wanted to show off her library. Do you think she really loves to read, or she just wants you to *think* she loves to read? Editor: That's a good point! The pose does seem a little too perfect. I hadn't considered that. Curator: Portraits were strategic then. She’s creating a version of herself for the world – a very curated self, if I may. Editor: That makes me rethink the entire image! It is staged to perfection. Thank you for sharing these illuminating insights. Curator: The pleasure is mine. Sometimes the most beautiful lies are the ones etched in ink. Now, if only *my* portrait could be so flattering…