A Young Girl Seated at a Desk Copying a Painting

A young girl seated at a table, is copying a painting on an easel. She is wearing a dress with a broad white collar of a type that became fashionable in the 1780s. It is probably the portrait of an amateur pupil of Smith s since the date of the dress precludes it from being his daughter. The subjects of the two paintings shown on the walls were probably taken from Cesare Rip's lconologia. As one represents Science and the other several hives of bees, they symbolise the activities of an aspiring artist, thoughtful study combined with diligent labour. This drawing was acquired by the Whitworth Art Gallery in order to strengthen its collection of 18th and early 19th century figure-drawings by English Masters. The artist was born in Derby and became one of the leading mezzotint engravers of his period. He was also well known as a portraitist.