George FullerÉtats-Unis, 1822–1884Peut-on la contempler ?
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This painting shows the heroine of George Eliot's poem The Spanish Gypsy. In the poem Fedalma must choose between family duty and the prospect of a happy marriage with a wealthy duke ("Women in the Literary Marketplace," Cornell Univ. Library Web site). Fuller chose to show her holding a gold necklace, a gift from the duke that symbolized the splendor he could offer her.
Smithsonian American Art Museum