Period Portraits has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
The artist has included so many tantalising details within this painting and as a result it provides an evocative window into the life of a young lady from a prosperous family, in England in the 18th century. The designs of the furniture include a Chippendale inspired mahogany splat back chair and an elegant table. Even the panelling of the room within which the lady sits, includes a painted landscape above the door, within this it is even possible to see the outline of a fisherman wading through the water of the landscape beyond.
In contrast to these realistic details is the extravagant green drapery left flying behind her head, adding a sense of drama and inspired by traditional old master portraiture. The composition set within an interior echoes the so-called ‘Conversation piece’ genre. This popular form of painting took great inspiration in its modest size and subject matter from Dutch interior paintings of the seventeenth century. This particular example, which bears a not so modest frame, is a fine example of what became the English Conversation Piece in the eighteenth century.
The portrait is reminiscent of paintings by the likes of the Lancashire born Arthur Devis (1712-1787). Devis came to specialise in family portraiture incorporated into the Conversation Piece genre. His settings for these portraits were diverse, from eighteenth century parklands to fine contemporary interiors. It is quite possible that the creator of this work of art knew the works of Devis, which often lavished special attention to architectural fittings and details. This is a genre which the young Gainsborough too excelled in. Despite the very characterful face, and finely preserved brushstrokes, it has not been possible to identify a specific artist with this work...
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Period Portraits has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
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18th Century English Portrait of an Elegant Young Lady - Circle of Arthur Devis (1712-1787)
