The artwork titled “Eleanor (née Watts), Lady Wigram” is a portrait by the artist Charles Turner, dated to 1817. It is associated with the Romanticism art movement, a genre known for its emphasis on emotion and individualism, as well as for glorifying the past and nature.
The portrait depicts Eleanor, who was married to Sir Robert Wigram, shown in a formal and elegant pose. She has a gentle, yet confident expression on her face as she looks directly at the viewer. Her attire is rich and detailed, indicative of her status and the fashion of the period with its intricate lace collar and the fine embroidery on her dress. Her hair is styled in curls framing her face, underneath a white, ruffled cap that adds to her dignified appearance. The quality of the artwork suggests it was created not only to capture her likeness but also to convey her social standing and character. The setting of the portrait is restrained with a dark background, focusing the attention solely on her figure, following the stylistic choices typical of portrait paintings of that time. The fine details rendered in her clothing and the soft representation of her features are indicative of Turner’s skill in portraiture.
