Elizabeth Howard

Phillips's portrait of Elizabeth Howard from 1835, held at the Yale Center for British Art, documents a subject whose family connection is unclear but whose portrait reached the major American collection that documented British art through systematic acquisition in the twentieth century. The 1835 date places this in his mature career, and the Yale holding demonstrates how thoroughly his work was dispersed through international collecting. Female portraiture formed a significant portion of Phillips's production, and his approach—combining the formal conventions of Regency and early Victorian portraiture with direct psychological observation—gave his female subjects an individual presence that distinguished them from more standardized approaches.

The female portrait balances individual characterization with the expectations of fashionable presentation. Phillips renders the sitter's features with careful attention while handling the costume and accessories with his usual professional competence. The composition follows standard conventions for female portraiture of the period.