The Veiled Lady

I love sculpture and one of my favourites is the ‘Veiled Lady’ in the Cooper Gallery collection. I have spent many hours in her company, sometimes alone, sometimes alongside visitors. I am fascinated by this beautiful piece of art. 

The Veiled Lady is without doubt one of the most popular items in the Cooper Gallery’s collection. She has been capturing the hearts and imaginations of its visitors for many years but still remains a woman of mystery. This sculpture is carved from marble and has an alabaster pedestal and a column shaped base and shows a young woman with a veil covering her head and face. Sadly, there is no signature so it cannot be attributed to one particular artist.

This piece was acquired by Samuel Cooper to be displayed in the Georgian setting of his country house, Cowick Hall near Goole. It is possible that she was inspired by the Veiled Lady or Bride by the sculptor Rafaella Monti who was based in Milan. The Coopers visited Milan in 1879 but there is no evidence amongst their receipts that they purchased this from him. Another possible sculptor is Giovanni Strazza. It is also possible to have been carved by the English School of artists, in the 19th century it was popular for art students to copy famous sculptures.

As our research continues, we do know that the Veiled lady is an inspiration for many and was once featured in a painting by the late artist Paula Rego. In ‘Study for the artist in her studio’, a pipe smoking women is surrounded by sculptural props, to the left is a female head based on our very own Veiled Lady. This was noted by Paula when paintings from her 1991-92 residency at the National gallery toured the country. Paula was quoted as saying “It’s quite true that I showed my touring National Gallery pictures and drawings at the Cooper Art Gallery in Barnsley… I remember the carved bust of a Veiled Lady well.  It was a masterpiece, and I did do a drawing of it at the time.” Paula Rego, 1991. I would love to know more about her and the artist who created her, but at the same time I love the mystery that surrounds her. I am so grateful that this piece of art is in my hometown of Barnsley.

Sculptures like these are said to have been popular during the 1700s in Italy, it was an opportunity for sculptors to show off their technical skills using marble. There are many beautiful examples in collections across the UK. Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has a large number of examples that are out on display, one is Raffaelle Monti’s Veiled Vestal Virgin. In 1846, William Spencer Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, visited the studio of Monti in Milan and commissioned the piece. The sculpture was completed by the spring of 1847. In a 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the lead, Keira Knightley playing Elizabeth Bennet, can be seen viewing the sculpture.