- 168
Studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds P.R.A. 1723-1792
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 GBP
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Description
- Sir Joshua Reynolds P.R.A.
- Portrait of Mary Robinson (1758-1800)
- oil on canvas
- 74 by 61 cm.
- 29ΒΌ by 24 in.
half length, wearing a black dress trimmed with lace, and a hat with a feather
Catalogue Note
The sitter was one of the most beautiful women of her age and was painted by a number of artists, including Gainsborough, Reynolds, and Romney. She acquired the soubriquet of 'Perdita' from her role as 'the lost one' in Shakespeare's, A Winter's Tale. Her performance captivated the young George, Prince of Wales, and was the catalyst for a prolonged correspondence between the sitter and the future king, and was sufficient for her to be considered his mistress. Mrs Robinson was also an acclaimed literary talent.
The present picture derives from a portrait of the sitter at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, painted by Reynolds in 1784.