Cleveland Museum of Art

Portrait of Mary Wise

Thomas Gainsborough

Date

c. 1774

Medium

oil on canvas

Culture

England, 18th century

Department

European Painting and Sculpture

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Mary’s modest and contemplative demeanor is a counterpoint to a rather elaborate ensemble consisting of a gown embroidered with gold flower sprigs, trimmed with lace and pearls, and tied with a gold sash, as well as a gold-striped veil and a bracelet with eight gold bands. Gainsborough’s compact oval format and the sitter’s informal pose lend this portrait an air of intimacy. The portrait shows Mary in her twenties, with her hair powdered fashionably grey.

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