Emma Hart as ‘The Spinstress’ by Romney

• Date: c.1784-5
• Type: Painting
• Material: Oil on canvas
• Place Made/Found: London
• Artist: George Romney

Amy Lyon, later called Emma Hart and Lady Hamilton, was the daughter of a Cheshire blacksmith. Here she is depicted in a rural setting, with a simple white dress and her head modestly covered with a scarf. Romney was smitten with Emma’s beauty and produced many sketches and oil paintings of his muse. There is a strong artistic tradition of ladies at spinning wheels, which derives from 17th century Dutch art.