Maria Cosway's celebrated 'Portrait of Georgiana as Cynthia from Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queene’, painted in 1781-82, has returned to the visitor route, just in time for Christmas. 

The Chatsworth House Trust charity is committed to sharing the art and artefacts preserved in the Devonshire Collections with as many people as possible across the world, and the painting was lent to Tate Britain in London for its 2024 ‘Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920’ exhibition. Tate Britain welcomes around 1.5 million visitors each year.

Tate's exhibition shone a justly deserved spotlight on female artists who defied societal expectations and whose works have often been forgotten, dismissed or misattributed, sometimes for centuries. 

Pictured as Cynthia, the Goddess of the Moon, Maria Cosway's representation of Duchess Georgiana is very different to the more traditional portraits by male artists, such as Thomas Gainsborough or Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Above: Paintings of Duchess Georgiana by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Maria Cosway

It draws on imagery from Edmund Spenser’s epic poem 'The Faerie Queene', written in the 1590s, where Cynthia, Goddess of the Moon, breaks through dark clouds to illuminate the world and deliver 'a thousand blessings'. This is Georgiana depicted as a powerful goddess, it is also the painting that her son, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, said was '...very like my Mother, and it is almost the only likeness of her that reminds me of her countenance.' (A Handbook to Chatsworth and Hardwick, by 6th Duke of Devonshire).

About Maria Cosway

Maria Cosway, nee Hadfield, (1760-1838)  was the daughter of Florence based Italian-British hoteliers. She was educated in a convent and demonstrated a talent for music and drawing. At 13, she was tutored by Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) who encouraged her ability and introduced her to many European artists.

Her painting gained recognition and in 1778 she was elected to the Florentine Accademia del Disegno. Between 1777 and 1779 she visited Rome and Naples, developing a network of well connected artistic supporters and friends.

In 1776, her father died and her mother chose to return to Britain, summoning Maria to join her in 1779. While she was welcomed in the most illustrious artistic circles, it was difficult for her to live as an independent female artist.

An introduction to celebrated portrait artist Richard Cosway (1742-1821), particularly known for his miniatures, led to marriage and, with it, financial security, good standing in artistic circles and in society in general.  While Maria exhibited works at the Royal Academy Annual Exhibitions and published musical compositions, her artistic progression was restricted by her husband's attitude towards her and his refusal to allow her to sell her works. 

Later in life, she gained some recognition when several of her works were published by printsellers and she was asked to make etchings of the old master paintings at the Louvre, under the patronage of the Bonaparte family. 

She also turned her attention to the promotion of girls' education, establishing schools in France and Italy.

Restoration

In 2009/10, thanks to income from ticket sales, Gift Aid, and membership, Chatsworth House Trust was able to fund the restoration of this portrait, allowing it to continue to be admired worldwide for centuries to come.

Below, you can see the painting before restoration (left) and after (right).

About Chatsworth House Trust