The Rape of the Lock

A circle of aristocratic figures in eighteenth-century attire gathers for tea. Dominating the foreground, a man stands in profile, facing left, holding small scissors as he prepares to snip a lock of hair from a woman seated before him, her back turned. He wears a long, curled periwig, a heavily embroidered coat, breeches, and stockings; she is dressed in black with white lace trim. Beside him, a diminutive, impish figure stands at a table, facing right, holding a cup while meeting the viewer’s gaze with a knowing smile. In the background, other guests converse near a tall window that opens onto a tree-lined garden.