Miss Anne Day, afterwards Lady Fehoulet 1760

Curator: Here we have James McArdell's "Miss Anne Day, afterwards Lady Fehoulet," housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The lace! It's almost overwhelming, creating a frothy, textural landscape around the subject. Curator: McArdell was a master of mezzotint, note how the gradations create such a soft, almost ethereal quality. The portrait adheres to conventions, but it's the symbols of wealth that really speak. Editor: Absolutely, the fur muff, the elaborate hat. These aren’t just details, they’re potent emblems of social standing and aspiration in that era. One also feels her reserved and proper attitude. Curator: I agree. It's the tension between the surface adornment and that carefully controlled expression that makes the piece so compelling. Editor: A lovely work, it really makes one think about social roles. Curator: Indeed. It prompts questions of identity, representation, and the power of visual language.