Heroine with attendant and a pair of deerc. 1710–20 · Study 2018.108

Context from the museum

A heroine’s ardor for her absent lover is so strong that it attracts a deer and doe, otherwise shy animals. The woman holding a stringed instrument at the right signals that this scene has a musical theme. Intensely staring gazes, the heroine’s elongated legs, the impossible turn of her head in the opposite direction as her feet, and the unaided dance of her hems add to the miraculous quality of the scene.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The lady fondling the deer is adorned in a transparent muslin shawl.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Heroine with attendant and a pair of deer is 10.1 cm wide and 16.7 cm high, equivalent to approximately 4.0 × 6.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.60:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.02 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 3.4% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 144.9 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Heroine with attendant and a pair of deer in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, gum tempera on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 10.1 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?