Fedalma
George Fuller
1883-1884
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Accession Number
1929.6.45
Tags
Figure femaleSpanish GypsyRomaSpanish
About this artwork
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.