Practicing the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong), 1893. Tom Roberts (Australian, 1856-1931). Oil o

Practicing the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong), 1893. Tom Roberts (Australian, 1856-1931). Oil on canvas. National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.

The figure stands back in the canvas, the pose that of the beginning of the dance, the fine eyes full of animation, and the draperies of old gold so treated that the general scheme of colour is refreshingly quiet.

Spong was an English-born actress of international fame who gained acclaim in both the theatre and the cinema.