Henrietta Read, later Henrietta Meares

Maker Thomas Gainsborough (British, 1727-1788)

SitterSitter: Henrietta Read, later Henrietta Meares (British, born 1760)

Collections

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Dateca.1777

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionscanvas: 89 1/4 × 56 3/8 in. (226.7 × 143.2 cm.) frame: 98 3/4 × 66 1/8 × 4 1/4 in. (250.8 × 168 × 10.8 cm.)

DescriptionAt the center is Henrietta Read portrayed in full-length. Wearing a low-necked dress of palest collar, the sitter leans her left elbow on a plinth with a large vase, while her right hand rests on the left forearm. She is depicted in a natural setting with tree trunks, foliage, and a stormy sky.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Label TextHenrietta Read’s grandfather, a wealthy brewer, commissioned Gainsborough to paint this portrait—as well as those of other family members—as part of a dynastic display. In a pose that recalls 17th-century court portraits, Henrietta drapes part of her lilac gown over a stone plinth, providing a cushioned support for her elbow and revealing her white silk petticoat. The pink, cream, and charcoal of her delicate gown admirably complement her complexion and dark hair color, and provide a striking foil to her bold black eyebrows and dark brown eyes.

Status

On view

Object number24.2