Curatorial Narrative The painting “A New Love Song, Only ha’Penny a Piece” by Francis Wheatley, created in 1796, is a quintessential example of the Georgian period’s penchant for still life compositions. Wheatley’s linear brushwork and adherence to traditional techniques evoke a sense of formal restraint, while his use of sepia tones and muted earthy hues imbues the scene with an air of quiet contemplation. The subject itself – a group of musical instruments arranged on a wooden table – is handled with a sense of studied detachment, its compositional structure governed by a strict spatial rhythm that reinforces the painting’s connection to the Georgian era.When enlarged to 44×56 inches, Wheatley’s palette takes on a heightened sense of atmospheric weight, as if the muted tones are absorbing and reflecting light in equal measure. The chromatic structure of the painting begins to reveal subtle nuances – the rich, burnished surface of