Art Institute of Chicago

Catherine, Lady Bampfylde

Thomas Watson (English, 1743-1781)

Date

1779

Medium

Mezzotint on laid ivory paper

Culture

England

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Considered one of the greatest of all English mezzotints, this print of Lady Catherine Bampfydle demonstrates precisely why artists in 18th-century Britain adopted the process in such earnest. During this time, mezzotint was primarily used to translate oil paintings into printed form rather than for original expression. This portrait of Lady Bampfydle exemplifies the delicate uses of half tones to convey rich texture and depth. Reynolds’s model contributes its witty adaptation in reverse of the famous antique Venus de’ Medici . Though fully clothed (unlike the sculpture), this society Venus languidly gestures as if to cover herself from prying eyes.

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