Portrait of Isabella Saltonstall 1775

Editor: This is George Stubbs’ "Portrait of Isabella Saltonstall," created in 1775. It’s an oil painting with a very theatrical feel; Isabella is posed in this dramatic landscape with a lion and a donkey. What are your initial thoughts about the symbolic weight of this rather odd gathering? Curator: My eye is drawn to the dreamlike quality. It's not simply a portrait, is it? More like a tableau vivant. Think about the lion—traditionally a symbol of courage and nobility, but also primal power. The donkey represents humility, perhaps stubbornness. Together, with Isabella, they evoke a journey, possibly a spiritual one. Editor: A spiritual journey? That's interesting. The setting definitely adds to that sense of journey and discovery. What's Isabella’s role, in your opinion? Curator: Look at her dress – it’s almost Grecian, linking her to classical ideals. She’s mediating these opposing forces of the lion’s wild nature and the donkey’s grounded existence. She seems contemplative, as if weighing her own path. Ask yourself, what do lions and donkeys trigger in you? Editor: So she's not just a portrait subject, but a symbolic figure herself? Perhaps representing reason guiding instinct? Curator: Precisely! And the landscape, that liminal space between light and dark, enhances the sense of psychological depth. It's like a stage for the unfolding drama within the self. The choice of painting in an oval suggests completion, and cyclical journey back to self. Editor: I never considered that Isabella herself could be a symbol of self-discovery. Curator: Exactly. Symbols layer meaning, giving depth to what might otherwise appear to be a formal portrait. Editor: That makes me look at it in a completely new light. It’s really fascinating how much meaning can be packed into what I thought was just a regular, if slightly odd, painting. Curator: Visual symbols speak across time and culture, giving the images lasting emotional resonance. Now I see the painting a bit differently too. Thank you!