Portrait of Marianne Dorothy Harland (1759–1785), Later Mrs. William Dalrymple

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as recorded by Wikidata. No accession number or further inventory information is provided in the available sources. The exhibition history of this work is not documented in the given materials.

Richard Cosway's oil painting from around 1778 depicts Marianne Dorothy Harland, daughter of a British vice admiral, in a private domestic setting. The work captures her seated in her dressing room, playing a harp, dressed in a morning gown. Details like a small dog and an array of grooming items on her dressing table emphasize the intimate, fashionable world of an eighteenth-century elite woman. This portrait became one of Cosway's notable works, sparking discussion upon its exhibition.

Cosway's approach to this portrait was characterized by a meticulous attention to detail, particularly evident in the rendering of the dressing room's accoutrements. This precision, however, drew criticism when the painting was first exhibited, with one reviewer deriding its "painful and minute attention to little Circumstances" as "coxcomical." Such remarks suggest a style that emphasized intricate elements, a quality now more fully appreciated following the removal of a disfiguring layer of yellowed varnish.

When first displayed at the Royal Academy in 1779, the portrait provoked a strong reaction from critics. An anonymous review in the St. James's Chronicle specifically targeted Cosway's detailed execution, labeling it "coxcomical." This term likely reflected a broader unease with the artist's own fashionable public image, as much as a critique of the painting itself.

The depicted objects, such as scent bottles and powder puffs, were recognizable indicators of elite eighteenth-century grooming practices.