Illustration to Goldsmith’s ‘Vicar of Wakefield’: Studies of a Girl 1789

Curator: This is Thomas Stothard's "Illustration to Goldsmith’s ‘Vicar of Wakefield’: Studies of a Girl," a pencil sketch from the Tate Collections. Editor: It’s quite delicate, almost ethereal. The repetition of the figure, the light touch—it gives a sense of searching, of the artist working to capture something fleeting. Curator: Stothard was known for his illustrations, and this is a study for Goldsmith's novel, likely for the character of Olivia. You see him exploring different poses, different emotional registers. It speaks to the role of art in popular culture at the time. Editor: I see a Pre-Raphaelite sensibility in the face of the standing figure, a melancholy beauty. And the classical drapery gives her a timeless, almost allegorical quality, doesn't it? As if Olivia embodies universal themes of innocence and vulnerability. Curator: Indeed. The sketch is really interesting as a visual record of how artists worked within literary and commercial contexts. Editor: It’s a peek behind the curtain. A meditation on the human form and the art of storytelling.