Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Gainsborough Dupont·1787/1796
Historical Context
Dupont's portrait of Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, painted between 1787 and 1796, depicts Elizabeth Linley Sheridan, one of the great beauties of Georgian England and wife of the playwright and politician. The Sheridans were part of the glamorous Whig circle around the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Devonshire. Thomas Gainsborough had painted a famous portrait of Elizabeth Linley that established her image in the public imagination.
Technical Analysis
Dupont's oil-on-canvas technique follows the Gainsborough manner with soft, fluid handling and a warm palette suited to the celebrated beauty. The portrait shows competent execution of the master's style, with particular attention to the flowing lines of costume and hair.
Provenance
George Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron Dover [1797-1833]; by descent to his granddaughter, the Hon. Lilah Agar-Ellis, later Lady Annaly [1862-1944], until c. 1922.[1] (M. Knoedler & Co., London and New York); sold January 1922 to Andrew W. Mellon, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.; gift to his daughter, Ailsa Mellon Bruce [1901-1969], New York, by 1937; bequest 1970 to NGA. [1] Lady Annaly was the daughter of George's son, Henry Agar-Ellis [d. 1866].
