Portrait of Anne Breame, Mrs Humphry Ambler

Kneller's Portrait of Anne Breame, Mrs Humphry Ambler, from around 1720, documents a prosperous English gentlewoman from the provincial middle class — the Ambler family were likely professionals or landed gentry rather than titled aristocracy. Kneller painted widely across English society, and his female portraits of gentry sitters follow recognizable conventions adapted from his court portraiture but scaled to the less ambitious requirements of provincial commissions. The preservation of the sitter's maiden name alongside her married name in the title suggests careful genealogical identification by later owners.

The portrait employs Kneller's female portrait format with appropriate adjustments for a gentry rather than court sitter — elegant but not extravagant dress, a warm expression, and the smooth handling of fabric and complexion that made his female portraits popular regardless of the sitter's rank.