Joshua Reynolds
In 1781, after a six-week trip to Holland and Flanders to study the work of Rubens, the English painter Joshua Reynolds returned to his portrait practice in London with a renewed appreciation for naturalism. This influence is evident in his portrait of Lady Frances Finch, where he depicts her in a relaxed, wooded setting, devoid of his typical classical allusions. Lady Frances (1761–1838), daughter of the 3rd Earl of Aylesford (1715–1777), was 21 when the portrait was completed. The final sitting occurred in March 1782, and by September of that year, she had married George Legge, Lord Lewisham, becoming Lady Lewisham, Countess of Dartmouth.
The informality of Lady Frances's pose and her proximity to the picture plane do not immediately reveal her aristocratic background. Eighteenth-century artists increasingly favored placing female sitters in natural rather than domestic settings, responding to a literary trend that associated nature with virtue.
If you have seen the Bridgerton TV series, when you look at this portrait you may see some influences for the creators of the series. What hair!
P.S. Speaking of the Netflix series, if you are a fan of this famous show, here are artsy locations that you can spot in Bridgerton!
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