Often painting celebrities and social figures, George Romney’s fame as a portraitist grew from his works showing a faithful likeness to their sitters. Mary Ann Yates (1728–87) – one of the leading tragediennes of the English stage in the late eighteenth century – was nearly 20 years into her acting career at the time of this portrait.

Here, Mrs Yates embodies the character of Melpomene, one of nine muses in Greek mythology. The patron of tragedy, Melpomene’s attributes include a mask, a wreath of ivy or cypress, and a dagger or crown in her hand. She is portrayed here wearing a wreath and clutching a dagger that is thought to have Romney’s self-portrait on its hilt.

Resplendent in her neoclassical costume, Mrs Yates is in control of her role as she adopts the calm contrapposto pose of a classical sculpture rather than the dynamic emotive expression one might expect from an actress.

Behind the scenes: Conserving historical frames

At nearly three metres long — and entirely gilded with gold leaf — the frame for Mrs Yates as the Tragic Muse, Melpomene 1771 presents unique conservation challenges. From 2022–24, QAGOMA’s in-house conservation framers used a blend of innovative and era-appropriate techniques to restore this Collection treasure to its former glory. This process was documented in FRAME | WORK.