Siddons, as the greatest of tragediennes, would
appropriately impersonate the muse of tragedy.[9] The story is related
that when she came to his studio for the first sitting the painter
took her by the hand and led her to the chair, saying in his courtly
way: "Ascend your undisputed throne; bestow on me some idea of the
tragic muse." Whereupon she instantly assumed the attitude in which
she was painted. Among Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel
there is a figure of the prophet Isaiah, whose pose is quite similar,
and may have suggested both to painter and sitter the idea of the
Tragic Muse. In any case the attitude which Mrs. Siddons assumes is
entirely characteristic.

[Footnote 9: Russell had already celebrated Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic
Muse in his History of Modern Europe, and Romney had previously
painted Mrs. Yates in the same character.]

[Illustration: MRS. SIDDONS AS THE TRAGIC MUSE]

The expression of her face shows the stress of strong emotion--the
struggle of a noble soul in a conflict of forces which must end in
tragedy. Her hair is brushed back from the face and ornamented with
a tiara like a royal diadem. A rich rope of pearls falls across her
beautiful neck and is gathered in a knot on her bodice. A mantle lies
across her lap draped somewhat like that in the portrait of Lady
Cockburn, and, like it, inscribed with the name of the painter, who
gallantly said that "he could not resist the opportunity of going down
to posterity on the hem of her garment".[10]

[Footnote 10: The compliment has sometimes been referred to the
portrait of Lady Cockburn, but the incident is related by Northcote as
told him by Mrs. Siddons herself in regard to her own portrait.]

Behind her chair are two allegorical figures representing Crime and
Remorse, the two primary causes of tragedy. In the full face of the
one at her left we can trace the features of Sir Joshua himself,
distorted though they are into the expression of a criminal.

The color of the original painting has a sombre magnificence which is
in keeping with the seriousness of the subject. The painting of the
head and bust places it among the finest works of Reynolds.

The portrait shows a remarkable insight on the part of the painter
into the character of Mrs. Siddons. She had not at that time played
any of her great Shakespearean roles, but Reynolds seemed to
anticipate her power. He followed her career with unfailing interest
and always made a p