Cleveland Museum of Art

Portrait of the Ladies Amabel and Mary Jemima Yorke

Joshua Reynolds

Date

c. 1761

Medium

oil on canvas

Culture

England, 18th century

Department

European Painting and Sculpture

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Sisters Amabel (left) and Mary Jemima are shown playing on the grounds of their family’s country estate outside London. They wear loose, flowing garments invented specifically for the portrait rather than their usual outdoor dresses. Their father commissioned the painting to hang in the family’s city home in London’s St. James Square and it highlights their status as landowners. Joshua Reynolds painted this portrait after his return from Italy, where his studies inspired him to incorporate classical references. The famous ancient Roman Statue of a Girl with a Dove is echoed in Mary Jemima’s pose as she shields a dove from the family dog. Her family affectionately referred to Mary Jemima (at right) as "Mouse."

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