Full half-length portrait of a young woman, directed slightly to right, facing and looking to front, head inclined to left; wearing a bonnet and a cloak; hands holding a tray of oysters.
786.04.01.13+
Acquired April 2023
Extra-illustrated and expanded to 5 volumes, each volume with an added printed title page dated 1908 and bound in early 20th-century red crushed levant full morocco gilt
Folio 64 Es75 768
Acquired September 2023
“Portrait of Mrs. Frances Wrighten, half-length, directed to right, facing to front, holding sheet music, hair high and decorated with pearls; oval frame with lettering underneath and a motif of musical instruments that intrudes into the frame; after Dighton, from a set of twelve theatrical portraits.”–British Museum online catalogue.
780.03.01.07
Acquired July 2023
Seated portrait of John Wilkes, holding a scroll marked ‘Magna Charta’, leaning on a table on which is a copy of his letter ‘To the Gentlemen Clergy & Freeholders of the County of Middlesex’, and ‘Bill of Rights’. A framed painting on the wall behind (left) shows an image of Hercules defeating the Hydra on the wall to left.
768.00.00.16
Acquired May 2023
“Interior of a kitchen showing servants at leisure: a stout woman dances with a black man in the centre accompanied by a man with a wooden leg who sits playing a violin on the left; watched by others on the right, a young woman standing on a chair and supported by a young man, while a seated man wearing a tricorn smiles and points at her and an elderly woman stands with her arms folded under her apron, a dog at her heels; two posters pasted on the wall behind, shelves, bellows and other kitchen implements in the background.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of a print of the same design.
770.00.00.103+
Acquired November 2022
“A stout, ugly, and elderly woman holds in her left hand a barber’s block, with a carved head in profile, on which is an elaborate pyramidal wig with ringlets. This she is covering with powder or flour from a dredger. Her hair is short and scanty; on her head is a very large black patch, two smaller ones are on her temple. She is dressed in undergarments, showing stays, and frilled petticoat over which is worn a pocket. Her dress, the bodice of which is almost cylindrical from its stiffening whalebone, is on a stool behind her. Her back is turned to the casement window (right) through which look two grinning old women, wearing frilled muslin caps. Over the window, and over the wall on its left, is a heavily festooned curtain. Sacarissa stands facing a low rectangular table (left), on which are a bottle and wine-glass, a candle (?) in a triangular shade, which is falling over, having apparently been knocked by the wig, patches, a comb, a paper, &c. Behind on the wall, in deep shadow, is a picture of a dome inscribed “The Pantheon”.”–British Museum online catalogue.
772.02.24.02+
Acquired April 2023
“A young woman in rustic dress, shown three-quarters length to left, holding a basket of grapes, wearing a broad-brimmed hat with a ribbon, her hair loose.”–British Museum online catalogue.
786.04.01.14+
Acquired April 2023
“Portrait of James Boswell after Reynolds (Mannings 214); half-length, turned to left, eyes to front; wearing plain, unbuttoned coat and waistcoat; curtain and landscape behind; lettered state before title erased.”–British Museum online catalogue.
Portraits B747 no. 4+
Acquired January 2023
Boatman on riverbank with bridge and buildings behind being greeted by sailor and city gent.
“A Thames waterman who thought himself betrayed by his wife and friend is reunited with both, who take his hands, the woman on the left in man’s dress, having looked for him throughout the world; on a wharf with oars propped against the walls of a house to left, a boat moored nearby and a bridge in the background.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of a later state.
793.05.10.01
Acquired November 2022
“Portrait of David Garrick after Reynolds (Mannings 700); standing three-quarter length between Comedy and Tragedy, smiling towards the latter, but allowing the former to tug him towards her; landscape behind.”–British Museum online catalogue.
Portraits G41 no. 5+
Acquired April 2023