Elizabeth Inchbald (1753 1821) was a British actress, novelist and dramatist. Between 1784 and 1805 she had nineteen of her comedies, sentimental dramas, and farces performed at London theatres. Inchbald's life was marked by tensions between, political radicalism, a passionate nature, a number of admirers, and a love of independence pitted against her desire for social respectability and a strong attraction to authority figures. In Nature and Art two young boys set out for London to seek their fortune after their fathers death. They begin their life in London doing errands when no permanent employment could be found.