Portrait of Mr and Mrs Richardson
1784
oil
From the collection of National Gallery of Ireland
1784
oil
From the collection of National Gallery of Ireland
This painting depicts a couple standing in front of a building, with the woman on the left and the man on the right. The woman is dressed in a long, white gown with a black shawl, while the man wears a green suit with a white shirt and vest. A dog stands in front of them, and another dog is seen in the background near a body of water. The couple is positioned in front of a large, dark doorway, with trees and bushes surrounding them. The sky above is cloudy and gray. To learn more about the artist's use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects and figures, look up Francis Wheatley.
