Mrs Mary Robinson (1783-1784). Joshua Reynolds (English, 1723-1792). Oil on canvas. The Wallace Coll
Mrs Mary Robinson (1783-1784). Joshua Reynolds (English, 1723-1792). Oil on canvas. The Wallace Collection.Mary Robinson was one of the best known actresses and writers of the 18th century. She was a close friend of Reynolds and it is thought that they might have devised the present composition together, drawing on the dramatic recent events of her life. In 1783, she had suffered a partial paralysis whilst travelling to Dover in pursuit of her lover, Banastre Tarleton, who had fled the country as a result of gambling debts. After this accident, Robinson withdrew from fashionable society and devoted her time to writing. Her melancholic pose and expression may allude to her changed circumstances and her longing for her absent companion. -- source link
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