Emma Hart as Miranda

Emma Hart, who later became Lady Hamilton, sat for Romney on over 330 occasions and was renowned for her adoption of various classical poses. Romney painted her in a variety of guises as Circe, Medea and here as Miranda from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Emma Hamilton gained some notoriety in her lifetime and in her prime was regarded as an example of a classic English rose. From her investment of time in sitting for Romney it is reasonable to suppose that she did this in order to preserve something of this beauty.