ELIZABETH CRAVEN AND HER WORLD

Engraving by William Ridley, based on Sir Joshua Reynolds'  portrait of Elizabeth Craven. What did Elizabeth Craven really look like? There are quite a lot of surviving portraits of her, but they are not very like each other. When she was aged sixteen, she was painted by the Continental artist Angelica Kauffman, who was only in her early twenties herself. Kauffman was an exception to the rule that all professional artists had to be men, and her depictions of society ladies as mythological goddesses were fashionable in Georgian high society. She chose to portray Elizabeth in the guise of Hebe, goddess of Youth, in classical robes that show off her dazzling white skin and delicate hands. The features are indistinct and somewhat conventionalized, but if you compare them to the next picture,  an oil sketch by George Romney,  it is plausible that both depict the same person.  Lady with a Lyre: Elizabeth Craven by George Romney c.1770....

Elizabeth Craven was an English traveller and writer who deserves to be better known. She was born in London in 1750, at the height of the Georgian era, and died at Naples in 1828. She wrote plays, novels, poems and letters in English and sometimes in French.  She was a witty, satirical social observer with a keen interest in the rights of women. A new biography published by Vernon Press sheds light on many fascinating details of her writings and her life, with its many events, friendships, scandals and love affairs.  The portrait shown here on the cover picture is by Ozias Humphry and is in the National Portrait Gallery although it is actually owned by the Tate.  The exact date is unknown. There are no records of Humphry meeting her until the 1790s, but the piled-up hairstyle and costume would be more characteristic of  c1780, when Craven was aged thirty. The painting captures her refined features and intelligence, with a hint of playfulness in the smile. ...