Francesco Bartolozzi (Florence, 1727 - 1815, Lisbon)
Margaret Bacon, Lady Butts, 1812
Engraving, 17.3 x 12.1 cm (6 13/16 x 4 3/4 in.)
This small engraving depicts Lady Butts, a light-skinned older woman with a strong and somber face. This is a bust-length portrait with the subject facing three-quarters to our left. Her lips are closed and her gaze is straight. Lady Butts is wearing a finely detailed gabled hood with intricately folded muted green fabric. This headdress has a distinct square shape, slighted domed and finished with upturned ends just above her jaw. It completely covers her hair and ears. The edge of a red under cap can be seen along her upper forehead. Her blouse has a ruffled collar tied with a thin dark ribbon at her neck and a loosely rendered red fur collar is draped over her shoulders.
Dutch Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.