Sarah Siddons of feminine propriety. Commissioned and completed in 1784, Sir Joshua Reynolds' portrait, "Sarah Siddons as The Tragic Muse", is characterized by Reynolds' inspiration, contextualisation of the Muse, and distinctive brush work and paint palette. This portrait, as Heather McPherson writes, became the known depiction of tragedy, infused with contemporary ideas about acting and representation of the passions in Siddons' melancholy expression and deportment. Mary Hamilton's correspondence with her fiancé illuminated its seamless transition from "the artist's studio to the theatrical stage", practical venues that interlocked in the eighteenth century and formed a large part in creating the very idea of
Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse dress. Some stipulate that Reynolds had used Mrs. Siddons as a public stint to gain attention after his last exhibition which was not as well received. But this is debatable. Many scholars believe that Reynolds was inspired by Michelangelo's ""Isaiah,"" (see Related Paintngs below) found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but Siddons maintained that the similarity in posture and body position were merely coincidental. Reynolds, she had said, had initially painted her in another position and she had shifted to a more favorable one. Composition: Reynolds' technique for this composition relied heavily on his lighting effects and bold