Isabella,Viscountess Molyneux, later Countess of Sefton

Isabella, Viscountess Molyneux, later Countess of Sefton, painted in 1769 by Gainsborough and held at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, is a portrait from the artist’s Bath period depicting a member of the Lancashire aristocracy. The sitter’s fashionable dress and Gainsborough’s characteristic handling of fabric demonstrate the qualities that made him Bath’s leading portrait painter. The Walker Art Gallery’s holding reflects Liverpool’s strong tradition of collecting English art.

Gainsborough renders the viscountess with the warm palette and fluid brushwork of his middle period. The elegant pose and atmospheric landscape background create a portrait that balances formal grandeur with the natural grace that distinguished his approach from Reynolds's more intellectual style.