Women reading: June

 

The June painting on my Women Reading calendar (see also 1st of each month this year) is Thomas Pole's In The Library, St James' Square.  Pole lived 1753-1829, and this was painted about 1805-6.  I think it's absolutely splendid, and utterly charming, although it looks nothing like St James' Square today (assuming this is the London square just off Piccadilly, of course).  Perhaps the lady is a forerunner of the librarians and readers of the great London Library which is one of the most respected occupants of the square today?

Later:  Thanks to Cornflower's comment, I now know this is not London, but Bristol.  There are several other pictures of the square, also by Pole, in the Bridgeman Art Library for those interested - looks very fine.

 

Of course, she is writing as well as reading - indeed, she has at least two books on the go, with others to hand for reference.  I suspect that she is writing a dutiful letter to a friend or family member, and is writing out a passage from the Bible (and that looks like a prayer book just to her right), probably with admiring quotations from the morning sermon.  But she probably has pleasure in mind as well, and when she goes out into the sunny garden, I suspect she will take one of the other books with her - including, perhaps, the tragedy Edwy and Elvina by Fanney Burney.  If she was feeling more serious, she could have dipped into Coleridge's Lectures on Politics and Religion or some travel writing by the Gothick author, Ann Radcliffe - A Journey Made in the Summer of 1794.  (It's just a few years too early for Jane Austen, sadly).

Comments

[glo]

The picture is nicely split between the book shelves on the left side and the view of the garden on the right side, the eye being rather drawn by the garden.
It also looks a lot like a Flemish C15th or C16th painting, probably because of the issue in the perspective (re the table and the books on the table).

[JenDee]

I like your comments on what you think is happening in this picture. I also have this calander, and I just love it.

[Cornflower]

Bristol? (See Bridegman Art Library).
It is lovely, and doesn't she look diligent!