Portrait of a Lady in the Character of Cressida

Portrait of a Lady in the Character of Cressida is an 1800 oil painting by the British artist John Opie. It features a portrait of a young woman in the title role from William Shakespeare's tragedy Troilus and Cressida. It depicts Pandarus unveiling Cressida to Troilus. Her stance bears resemblance to Thomas Lawrence's 1798 picture John Philip Kemble as Coriolanus. ^[1]

Portrait of a Lady in the Character of Cressida
Artist	John Opie
Year	1800
Type	Oil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions	233.7 cm × 144.8 cm (92.0 in × 57.0 in)
Location	Tate Britain , London

Although the figure posing for Cressida was likely recognisable to those at the time, her identity is now a mystery. It was an unusual choice as the play was rarely performed often in the later part of the eighteenth century. It has been suggested that the model resembled Jane Beetham Read who Opie had once hoped to marry. ^[2] The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1800 at Somerset House. It was donated to the National Gallery in 1834 by George Silk. Today it is in the collection of the Tate Britain in Pimlico. ^[3]