"Who Is Sylvia? What Is She, That All the Swains Commend Her?" — Edwin Austin Abbey | DiscoverArt

Edwin Austin Abbey

"Who Is Sylvia? What Is She, That All the Swains Commend Her?"

1896-1899; reworked 1900

oil on canvas

121.92 × 121.92 cm (48 × 48 in)

SEE IT IN PERSON

In the collection of National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. — check current display status with the museum.

View at nga.gov ↗︎Plan a visit ↗︎

Discover

Your feed Blog Museums & galleries Saved works

You

Account Community guidelines

DiscoverArt

A taste-graph discovery engine for art. Every work shown is a real object in a real museum — artwork images courtesy of their institutions’ open-access programs.

© Discover Art 2026Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Discussion

Be the first to share your thoughts.

Sign in to join the discussion.

More by Edwin Austin Abbey

The Dance

Illustration to a Pastoral Poem by Herrick

Illustration to a Pastoral Poem by Herrick

Haymakers Resting, Illustration for "The Leather Bottle"

Haymakers Resting, Illustration for "The Leather Bottle"

In a Tavern, Illustration for "Phillada Flouts Me"

In a Tavern, Illustration for "Phillada Flouts Me"

In the Library

"The Bird To Others Flew"

"The Bird To Others Flew"

Quince, from "Quince" by Winthrop Mackworth Praed

Quince, from "Quince" by Winthrop Mackworth Praed

Now Crossed a Mirror's Face

Now Crossed a Mirror's Face

More like this

Francis I and the Duchess d'Étampes

Richard Parkes Bonington — Francis I and the Duchess d'Étamp

A Celebration

Eugène Isabey — A Celebration

Hamlet

Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863) — Hamlet

Henri IV Conferring the Regency upon Marie de' Medici

Eugène Delacroix — Henri IV Conferring the Regency upon Mari

Hamlet: Hamlet Commands the Actors to do a Scene from the Poisoning of his Father

Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863) — Hamlet: Hamlet Comma

John Everett Millais — The Ransom

Cordelia Parting from her Sisters

Ford Madox Brown (British, 1821–1893) — Cordelia Parting fro

The Play-Within-A-Play

Eugène Delacroix|William Shakespeare|Villain — The Play-With

Hamlet: The Queen Endeavors to Console Hamlet

Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863) — Hamlet: The Queen En

Duguesclin

Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863) — Duguesclin

In the Venusberg

John Collier — In the Venusberg

Women in an Interior

Paul Delaroche (French, 1797–1856) — Women in an Interior