She had great loveliness of person; but physical beauty
alone is ineffectual to charm such as these. Though not regularly
educated, she acquired much general knowledge, and was tactful in the
display and use of it.
It was during the period of her posing for Dr. Graham, that Romney
became enamoured of her beauty, and painted for us more than a dozen
important pictures of her. Those were the days when ladies of rank and
beauty were deified; and, following this fashion, Romney rendered
"Fair Emma" in many guises. Her ability in acting made her a most
useful model. Her features had much mobility, and were capable of
expressing, with facility, all gradations of passion and niceties of
feeling. Emma took pride and pleasure in serving Romney. He repeated
to his friend, the poet Hayley, her request, that in the biography of
the painter, Hayley would have much to say of her. One of his earliest
classical conceptions painted from her, was a full length of Circe
with her wand. Following this was a "Sensibility," which became the
property of Hayley. Though we remember Romney chiefly in connection
with his Lady Hamiltons, yet he had acquired his reputation and much
fortune ere he met her. The great bulk of his portrayals of the
nobility preceded his classical subjects, which took form from his
superb model. She was Cassandra; she was Iphigenia, St.
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