Mrs. Sarah Siddons, the actress 1785

Curator: Look closely at "Mrs. Sarah Siddons, the actress," painted in 1785 by Thomas Gainsborough. It's now residing here at the National Gallery. Editor: It strikes me as rather stagey, deliberately so. The pose, the heavy drapes behind her, even the plume in her hat, all project a crafted persona rather than raw emotion. Curator: Interesting, yes. Think about Mrs. Siddons herself, though. As a celebrated tragedienne, her very being was intertwined with carefully cultivated roles and performances. Editor: Precisely! And note the color palette: primarily cool blues and greys set against a backdrop of deep red. There's a striking contrast that contributes to the drama of the composition, almost a symbolic dichotomy. Curator: Consider also her gaze: dignified, almost challenging. Her image, skillfully captured by Gainsborough, echoes and reinforces the roles that she inhabited onstage and in the cultural memory. We also know that she playfully chided Gainsborough for misspelling her name in an earlier iteration. She must have understood the value of image. Editor: Yes. She would’ve certainly been involved in crafting the portrait we now behold. Curator: And the sable muff clutched in her hand adds an almost sensual touch to the portrait's grandeur, acting as both prop and symbol of her station. But what really sings to me is how the artist is showing us, using brush and oils, what culture and society valued then: theater. Editor: It is undeniably powerful in that respect. The artist also shows what the artifice that women had to partake in. In my case, though, while it might resonate deeply for some viewers, to me, the heavy theatricality still feels somewhat forced. Curator: Perhaps, but the symbolism also provides a valuable key to understanding 18th-century society and the performance of self. This extends even to how we portray ourselves today. Editor: Well, there's much to ponder, indeed. Thank you, the performative aspects within its composition make more sense. Curator: And for me, considering your perspective sheds new light on how much of the emotion it triggers in us viewers now depends on this tension.