Who painted The Frankland Sisters?

The Frankland Sisters was painted by John Hoppner in 1795.

Where can I see The Frankland Sisters?

The Frankland Sisters is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Frankland Sisters?

The Frankland Sisters is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of The Frankland Sisters?

Museum-quality prints of The Frankland Sisters are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Frankland Sisters

John Hoppner , 1795

The Frankland Sisters is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist John Hoppner. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:by later hand, lower left: MARIANNE & AMELIA / DAUGHTERS OF SIR T. FRANKLAND OB 1795 & 1800; lower right: HOPNER [sic]

About this work

Technique & Style

The medium of oil on canvas allowed for the rich texture and luminous color palette typical of the artist's technique during this period.

John Hoppner executed The Frankland Sisters in 1795 using oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 155 cm in height and 125 cm in width, adhering to the traditional full-length or three-quarter-length format common for aristocratic portraiture of the era. Stylistically, the painting is classified as a portrait, capturing the sitters with the characteristic elegance and fluid brushwork associated with Hoppner's late 18th-century output.

The medium of oil on canvas allowed for the rich texture and luminous color palette typical of the artist's technique during this period.

History & Provenance

The portrait was painted in 1795 by John Hoppner as an oil on canvas work commissioned by Sir Thomas Frankland of Thirkleby, Yorkshire. After staying within the Frankland family, it entered the collection of Sir Charles Tennant in 1898 and subsequently passed to his grandson Christopher Grey Tennant. In July 1923 the painting was sold through Charles Carstairs to M. Knoedler & Co., and that November Andrew W. Mellon acquired it, later gifting it to the National Gallery of Art in 1937.

The Frankland Sisters (1795) by John Hoppner is presently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered in 1937 as a gift from the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust. Its provenance traces from the sitter’s father, Sir Thomas Frankland, through successive owners including Thos. Agnew & Sons, Sir Charles Tennant, and Charles Carstairs, who sold it to Andrew W. Mellon in November 1923.

The work was part of a group of ten paintings exhibited at Knoedler’s New York premises in 1924 before Mellon’s purchase, marking a notable exhibition phase in its early modern history.

Overview

John Hoppner's 1795 oil painting, The Frankland Sisters, portrays two young women in an outdoor setting. This work exemplifies the refined and delicate aesthetic prevalent in late 18th-century portraiture. The composition captures a moment of quiet interaction between the subjects, who are presented with an air of serenity. Executed in oil on canvas, the piece showcases Hoppner's characteristic approach to depicting his sitters.

Subject & Meaning

The painting features two young women, presumably the Frankland sisters, seated together in a lush outdoor landscape. Dressed in white, the sister on the left holds a red book, while her companion on the right gently embraces her shoulder, holding a pencil. A dog rests peacefully beside them, contributing to the tranquil scene.

The arrangement suggests an intimate bond, conveying a sense of warmth and quiet companionship within their natural surroundings.

Context

John Hoppner was an English painter active in the late 18th century, a period marked by the lingering influence of the Rococo aesthetic in portraiture. His artistic development was notably shaped by the work of Sir Joshua Reynolds, a leading figure in British art at the time. This painting, created in 1795, aligns with the prevailing tastes for elegant and sensitive depictions of aristocratic and gentry sitters, a hallmark of the era's artistic output.