Portrait of Mary Anne Jolliffe
1788
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1788
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a pale blue dress sits stiffly against a dark background. Her collar is a froth of lace, and her hair is piled high, powdered white. This portrait was painted by Thomas Gainsborough’s only assistant, his nephew. Experts still argue over which brushstrokes are the uncle’s and which are the nephew’s. The soft, quick strokes make the lace look almost alive. If you like this, look up paintings from England, 18th century.
