Shandy Hall - Eliza Draper - An Absent Presence

Shandy Hall is situated 15 miles north of York in the beautiful surroundings of the North York Moors National Park. It contains a collection of books, paintings, manuscripts, prints and ephemera relating to the writer Laurence Sterne (1713 – 1768) author of ‘The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman’.

The Precious Cargo project focuses on an artistic interpretation of the “absent presence” Sterne had with his “muse”, Eliza Draper before and during her long sea-voyage to India. Eliza’s half of the correspondence no longer exists although spurious versions were published in the late 18^th century. Responding to the published letters (and perhaps the counterfeit versions), the artist will create an exhibition within the room that Sterne created especially for Eliza – although she never came to live or stay there. Although absent from Sterne and absent from the house she was ever present in his mind during the last months of his life.