Sayer and Bennett

The Lovely Lavinia

Her form was fresher than the Morning Rose
When the dew wets its leaves; unstrained & pure
As is the Lily or the Mountain Snow

12 x 16

A mezzotint droll in original hand colour, published by Sayer and Bennett in London in 1784.

In this achingly idyllic, Arcadian scene, a toothsome country lass is busy about her scything. She has gleaned a huge bundle of ripened wheat; no mean feat in such dainty, buckled shoes! In the background a more homely couple are busy hacking away at the crop but they are not what draws our attention, for all eyes are upon Lavinia and her beauty! The tilt of her head, the playful glance and the coquettish display of ankle all suggest a certain lasciviousness in this most alluring of images.

£650