Mrs Weldon Champneys

Mrs. Weldon Champneys by Hoppner at Oriel College, Oxford, is a companion piece to the portrait of her husband, the Reverend Weldon Champneys. Such paired spousal portraits were standard commissions in Georgian society. Hoppner's oil handling favored warm flesh tones over silvery grey half-shadows, producing an immediate vivacity that reflected his admiration for Reynolds and Gainsborough. Characteristic of Hoppner's approach, the work displays fluent brushwork in the tradition of Reynolds, warm tones, flattering likenesses.

The sitter is presented with quiet dignity, Hoppner's warm palette and confident technique creating a portrait that complements the companion image of her husband.