Portia

Leslie's Portia depicts the heroine of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice — the brilliant young heiress who outwits Shylock in the trial scene and rescues Antonio. Portia was among the most celebrated Shakespearean heroines for Victorian readers and painters, her combination of beauty, intelligence, and legal brilliance making her an ideal figure for an era that was beginning to discuss women's intellectual and professional capacities. Leslie's Portia paintings typically depicted her in the trial scene or in the romantic context of Belmont, and his ability to capture both the intellectual authority and the feminine grace of the character made him a leading interpreter of Shakespearean women.

The figure is rendered with warm, luminous flesh tones and careful attention to the rich costume appropriate to Portia's wealthy status. Leslie's handling conveys both beauty and intelligence through the character's alert, composed expression.