Sir Joshua Reynolds, 'Anne, 2nd Countess of Albemarle', about 1760
About the work
Overview
Lady Anne, 2nd Countess of Albemarle, is approaching 60 in this portrait. She is the widow of William-Anne Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, with whom she had 15 children, although only four sons and two daughters survived childhood. She holds a shuttle and is engaged in ‘knotting’ – a pastime involving making knots in thread which could then be sewn as decoration onto other items. A pair of scissors and a workbasket lie on the table beside her. Her face is almost dead-white because the paint has been bleached by the light.
The idea that Lady Albemarle should be painted by Reynolds almost certainly came from her second son, Augustus Keppel, a Commodore in the Royal Navy whom Reynolds portrayed at least seven times. Lady Albemarle sat for Reynolds 11 times between 26 September 1757 and 28 June 1759 and the portrait was finished by 1760, although Reynolds was not paid for it for a further 12 years.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Anne, 2nd Countess of Albemarle
- Artist
- Sir Joshua Reynolds
- Artist dates
- 1723 - 1792
- Date made
- about 1760
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 126.5 × 101 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1888
- Inventory number
- NG1259
- Location
- Room 34
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
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