This lively image of a woman by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun has an informal quality, the woman peaking from behind a curtain as if caught in a moment of fun.

The painting depicts the wife of a successful banker and art collector and was painted just before the French Revolution.

Vigée Le Brun's masterful depiction of the various textures within the painting, including velvet, lace, and feathers, creates a visually seductive surface.

The bright red feather on the woman’s hat and the red ribbon on her shoulder draw the viewer's eye upwards to focus on a surprisingly youthful face framed with grey ringlets, fashionably powdered.

This is one of the last paintings Vigée Le Brun created before the Revolution forced her to flee France.

Set in 1483 in the Tower of London, the children of Edward IV, Edward V and his brother the Duke of York, are imprisoned. They sense the dark fate in store for them from their uncle, Richard, who is determined to end the regency and seize power.

This scene remains one of history's great enigmas, as the fate of these children remains uncertain, inspiring many famous authors, including William Shakespeare.

The composition of the painting directs attention from the princes to the door: the bed, the curtains, the dog all point this way.