Edward Ferrers (1790-1830)

Rebecca Dulcibella Orpen's Edward Ferrers (1790-1830) is a posthumous portrait of a family member or historical figure — the dates given make this a portrait of someone who died fifty-six years before it was painted, suggesting it is based on an earlier likeness, a miniature, or family description. Orpen, working within the Pre-Raphaelite tradition, was practicing the kind of commemorative historical portraiture that the Victorian era produced extensively. The combination of a specific name and dates with a painting made long after the subject's death places this work in the category of memorial or commemorative portraiture.

A posthumous portrait based on earlier sources requires Orpen to balance historical accuracy (to the extent knowable) with the demands of contemporary portrait convention. Her Pre-Raphaelite training would be evident in careful attention to detail and warm, precise rendering of costume appropriate to the 1820s. The technical challenge is maintaining individual character while working from indirect sources — miniatures, family memory, or earlier paintings — rather than the living subject.