Fatima, the wife of the Kahya at Adrianopolis, rises to greet Lady Mary Wortley Montagu while her two daughters remain seated. Stipple engraving by J. Parker after T. Stothard.

  • Stothard, Thomas, 1755-1834.
Date:
Feb.y 11 1791
Reference:
3006311i
  • Pictures

About this work

Description

"On a sofa raised three steps , and covered with fine Persian. carpets, sat the Kahya's lady, leaning on cushions of white satin embroidered; and at her feet sat two young girls about twelve years old, lovely as angels , dressed perfectly rich, and almost covered with jewels. But they were hardly seen near the fair Fatima , (for that is her name) so much her beauty effaced every thing I have seen, nay , all that has been called lovely, either in England or Germany. She stood up to receive me, saluting me, after their fashion , putting; her hand to her heart with a sweetness full of majesty, that no court breeding could ever give. She ordered cushions to be given me, and took care to place me in the corner, which is the place of honour. I confess, though the Greek lady had before given me a great opinion of her beauty, I was so struck with admiration, that I could not, for some time, speak to her, being wholly taken up in gazing. That surprizing harmony of features! That charming result of the whole! That exact proportion of body! That lovely bloom of complexion unsullied by art! The unutterable enchantment of her smile! But her eyes! Large and black, with all the soft languishment of the blue! every turn of her face discovering some new grace!"--Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M--y W---y M----e: written during her travels in Europe, Asia and Africa, Aix 1796, vol. 1, pp. 185-186

Publication/Creation

[London] (No. 2 Rathbone Place) : Publish'd ... by C. Tomkins, Feb.y 11 1791.

Physical description

1 print : stipple engraving, in circle ; platemark 27.2 x 24.1, image 19.3 x 19.3 cm

Lettering

Fair Fatima stood up to receive me, saluting me, after their fashion, putting her hand to her heart with a sweetness full of majesty, that no court breeding could ever give. Vide Lady M--y W---y M----e's letters. T. Stothard. del. J. Parker. sc.

References note

Not found in: G.E. Bentley, Jr., 'The journeyman and the genius: James Parker and his partner William Blake with a list of Parker's engravings', Studies in bibliography, 1996, 49: 208-231

Reference

Wellcome Collection 3006311i

Type/Technique

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link