Period Portraits are thrilled that conservation has has revealed this fine 18th century portrait of an elegant beauty, to be an original work by the British painter Thomas Hudson (1701-1779).This painting is a high quality example of Hudson’s work. The visible brushstrokes in the sitter’s face is most characteristic of the artist. This include the horizontal strokes for the eyes and mouth, which are strongly contrasted to the verticals evident in the nose, cheeks and edge of the face. Fortunately, and in contrast to many other examples, these details have been beautifully preserved. Equally fine is the drapery. The contrast between the thick white impasto and the smooth blue velvet of her cloak speaks of the painting’s quality.Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) During the 1740s Hudson became one of Britain’s leading portrait painters. He had trained as a youth with his father-in-law the theorist and painter Jonath...