Portrait of Barbara Talbot

Barbara Talbot was an English noblewoman connected to the aristocratic network that formed Kneller's primary market. This 1677 portrait belongs to his early London period, when he was establishing his reputation among the English aristocracy. Female portraits allowed Kneller to demonstrate his abilities with elaborate dress, jewelry, and the more idealized treatment of faces that distinguished his portraits of women from his more direct treatment of men.

Lady Talbot is shown in the fashionable dress of the 1670s, with elaborate treatment of silk and lace. Kneller's female portraits tend toward a softer, more idealized facial modeling compared to his male sitters, with warm flesh tones and gentle, complimentary lighting.