Artwork
A Lady Seated with a Parasol
A Lady Seated with a Parasol is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Samuel Woodforde. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
The painting is called A Lady Seated with a Parasol.
It was made by Samuel Woodforde after 1794.
The artist used pen and brown ink over graphite on laid paper, which was a common technique at the time.
This fact tells us something about the materials used to create the work.
You can learn more about the movement that influenced this artwork, Romanticism.
Overview
A Lady Seated with a Parasol is a drawing executed by the English artist Samuel Woodforde in 1794. Rendered with pen and brown ink applied over a graphite underdrawing on laid paper, the work exemplifies the drawing techniques prevalent in late‑18th‑century Britain.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a solitary woman seated beneath a parasol, suggesting a moment of leisure or contemplation. While the drawing offers no explicit narrative, the figure’s pose and the inclusion of the parasol evoke themes of genteel femininity and the pastoral ideals favored by contemporary taste.
Technique & Style
Woodforde employed a graphite sketch as a structural base, subsequently refined with fine pen lines and brown ink washes. The use of laid paper, with its ribbed texture, provides a subtle surface that enhances the tonal variations achieved through ink shading, reflecting the drawing practices of the period.
Context
Created during the early years of the Romantic movement, the work aligns with the era’s interest in individual sentiment and the natural world. Though primarily a drawing, its subject matter and atmospheric quality echo the broader Romantic fascination with personal experience and the gentle beauty of everyday scenes.
Artist & collection
![Seated Angel in a Landscape [recto], by Anicet Charles Gabriel Lemonnier](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anicet-charles-gabriel-lemonnier--seated-angel-in-a-landscape-recto--17dbd8d92a970c98-w320.webp)
