Edward Tayler, of both Swiss and British descent, is best known as a painter of portraits and portrait miniatures, an art form he helped revive in the nineteenth century. He was a favorite of Queen Victoria and the Royal House. However, as this large-scale watercolor proves, Tayler was also keenly aware of the artistic innovations of his day, such as the Pre-Raphaelites’ historicizing imagery. The elegiac mood, beautiful auburn-haired female figure, and carefully delineated details of Renaissance dress and Italian architecture in Lady with a Lute are all hallmarks of the Pre-Raphaelite style.