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As we celebrate International Women's Day 2025, Alice Martin, Head of Devonshire Collections, explores the history and symbolism of this much loved painting in this short film.

Read the transcript below:

Chatsworth’s corridors hold countless treasures, but few capture the imagination quite like this 1782 portrait of Georgiana, the 5th Duchess of Devonshire.

Maria Cosway's 'Portrait of Georgiana as Cynthia from Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queene’, hanging in the South Sketch Gallery

This portrait defies the conventional "male gaze" - both the sitter, Georgiana, and the artist, Maria Hadfield Cosway, were women. Traditionally, Georgiana and Cosway have been seen through the lens of their high-society lives, defined by their interactions with men - husbands, lovers, friends, patrons, and chroniclers.

Here, Cosway reimagines Georgiana as Cynthia, the goddess of the moon, also known as Diana. Her crescent-shaped headdress, diaphanous clothing, and classical sandals evoke Cynthia, drawing on lines from Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen, an epic poem from the 1590s. In this tale, Cynthia emerges from the clouds, illuminating the world. This portrayal is steeped in symbolism.

Pages from an early edition of Edmund Spenser’s epic poem 'The Faerie Queene' 

As Cynthia, Georgiana represents light in the darkness - an image that reflects not only her beauty but her role as one of the most charismatic and powerful women of her time. Georgiana was more than a duchess; she was a political influencer, a confidante of key figures, a trendsetter, and a beloved figure among London’s elite. 

Items from Georgiana's private correspondence

She was also a collector of minerals and an avid student of science - fascinated by the natural world, at one time even climbing Mount Vesuvius to witness its power first-hand, an unusual pursuit for a woman of her time.

Georgiana's mineral collection on display in the South Sketch Gallery

So, as Cynthia, she assumes a mythical role that suits her public persona - a figure both adored and enigmatic, ‘leading by the light of her own star’.

Cosway herself was deeply connected to Georgiana’s circle. Wife of the celebrated miniaturist Richard Cosway, Maria was an accomplished artist in her own right. Known for her skill in portraiture, she captured Georgiana with remarkable insight. 

A miniature of Georgiana, by Richard Cosway

The painting was mentioned in 1844 by William Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, in his Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick (p. 205), where he noted;"The head of Mrs Cosway's sprawling, not graceful figure of Diana is very like my mother, and it is the only likeness of her that reminds me of her countenance" - perhaps a perfect reflection of the way this portrait subverts the expectation of the traditional male gaze.

Pages from the 6th Duke's 'Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick'

In 2010, the Chatsworth House Trust undertook an extensive restoration of the portrait, bringing it back to its original splendour. After spending most of 2024 on loan to the Tate, this piece has recently returned to Chatsworth, where it hangs again in the home Georgiana once inhabited.

The painting before and after conservation by the Chatsworth House Trust

As you walk through these halls, take a moment to appreciate this image of Georgiana—not just as a historical figure but as an icon who transcended the boundaries of her era. Here, as Cynthia, Georgiana shines with a light that is timeless, embodying both myth and reality in a way that continues to inspire and enchant.