The Ladies Waldegrave

Reynolds's The Ladies Waldegrave from 1780, in the National Galleries of Scotland, depicts the three beautiful granddaughters of Sir Edward Walpole engaged in winding silk and working at a tambour frame. The triple portrait is one of Reynolds's most harmonious compositions, the three young women's activities creating a natural rhythm across the canvas. The painting was commissioned by their great-uncle Horace Walpole, who was deeply attached to his nieces and hung the portrait prominently at Strawberry Hill.

Reynolds arranges the three women in an elegantly interconnected composition, their activities creating visual links between the figures. The cool whites and pale tones of their dresses, set against a warm background, demonstrate his sophisticated management of color harmony in group portraiture.