print
- Museum number
- 1902,1011.6570
- Title
- Object: Hon. Mrs Parker
- Description
-
Portrait after Reynolds (Mannings 1396); whole-length, standing directed to front, head turned in profile to right, leaning with her right elbow on a pedestal bearing a large urn, her left hand on her right arm; hair high and curled, a robe over her dress; a woodland landscape behind with stream to right; proof before name of the sitter. 1773
Mezzotint
- Production date
- 1773
- Dimensions
-
Height: 613 millimetres
-
Width: 379 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Text from 'Gainsborough and Reynolds in the BM', BM 1984 cat.123:
The sitter was the wife of one of Reynolds' oldest friends, John Parker of Saltram near Plymouth (where the picture still hangs). Reynolds was often a guest there, and advised on the purchase of paintings. When she died, tragically, in childbirth in 1775 Reynolds wrote a beautiful obituary (Leslie and Taylor, II, pp.144-5), which was published in the 'Public Advertiser' of 29 December 1775, and reprinted in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' of February 1776.
The vase is based on a print of one of the vases painted by Polidoro da Caravaggio (d. 1543?) on the façade of the Palazzo Milesi in Rome (cf. Timothy Clifford: 'Polidoro and English Design'; 'Connoisseur', 1976, pp. 282 ff.).
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1984 London, BM, 'Gainsborough and Reynolds in the BM', cat.123
2017-18 Sept-Jan, BM, G90, The Business of Prints
- Acquisition date
- 1902
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1902,1011.6570
