A Woman with a fan, standing, seen from the back

The model for this study was the artist’s wife. Although often portrayed by Fuseli as a simpering madam, according to her peers she was a modest, decent soul. Although some writers have interpreted the background as a curtain, it may have been a preparatory sketch for an undated painting titled The Ladies of Hastings, which shows three women confronting a pointing man on a cliff, watched by a reclining figure below. Another preparatory sketch shows further variations of the pose, in which the rear figure retains the fan shown in Auckland Art Gallery’s drawing.

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