Portrait of a young woman by George Henry Harlow. Oil on canvas, first quarter of 19th century.

Half-length portrait of a young woman, leaning on a cushion, turned slightly to right and looking to front. The sitter is wearing a white dress, gold bracelet on her right arm and has her hair curled.

Bequeathed by Claude D. Rotch

This painting is in a mid-18th century English carved frame. It comes from the collection of Mrs. Sanguiretti (1960).

Historical Significance: George Henry Harlow began his artistic career as a student of Henry de Cort (1742-1810) and Samuel Drummond (1765?-1844). At the age of fifteen he entered the studio of the famous portrait painter Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). Although the painter was paid a considerable sum to accept Harlow, he did not teach him formally. Instead, Lawrence allowed his pupil to assist him in the studio and copy his work. After 18 months the two fell out and Harlow was left to pursue his career independently. However, the influence of Lawrence’s style remained visible in his later work.

Immediately after the quarrel with Lawrence, Harlow was occupied mainly with portraits of artists, actors and actresses. These include a likeness of the painter Benjamin West (1738-1820; private collection). He also completed a few historical pictures, such as <i>Bolingbroke's Entry into London</i> (exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, 1807), although these are less successful, partly due to his lack of a proper art education. From 1804 Harlow sent works for the Royal Academy exhibitions, however he never acquired membership. Tellingly, his candidacy for associate status in 1816 received only one vote from Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), who allegedly remarked, “I voted for the talent – not for the man!”

Perhaps partly in order to make up for his art education, Harlow went to Italy in 1818. He met Byron at Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice. He also befriended the most famous Italian sculptor at the time, Antonio Canova, who expressed his admiration for Harlow’s talent. Harlow copied many paintings in Italy, including some by Tintoretto, as well as Raphael’s <i>Transfiguration</i> (1517–20; Pinacoteca, Vatican, Rome). He was elected to the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, and invited to submit his own portrait to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, both of which were rare honours for an English artist.

Harlow landed in Dover in January 1819 with a sore throat, which soon became more serious. He died suddenly on 4 February 1819, at the age of 32. At the time he was regarded to be at the height of his artistic possibilities. A number of artists, including Thomas Lawrence and Joseph Farington (1747-1821), expressed high appreciation of his talent after his death. It seems likely that Harlow would have counted as one of the most successful English painters of the nineteenth century, if it were not for his sudden death.

The sitter of this portrait has not been identified. The lady faces the viewer directly. She is shown in a half-length format, reclining on a chaise longue. She is wearing a simple, bright dress with a low neck-line. The plain style with limited jewellery and decoration is fully compatible with the early nineteenth-century simple and ‘classical’ fashion.

This painting shows a strong influence of Harlow’s former teacher, Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). <i>The Portrait of a Young Lady</i> has a similar vivacity and charm to Lawrence’s portraits, for instance <i>Pinke</i> (c. 1795; The Huntington, San Marino). However, the dark background and half-length format make Harlow’s work more intimate and less formal. Portrait painting was a usual occupation for painters at the time. It provided a reliable source of income and allowed large output due to modest scale. Commissions such as this one were made possible to Harlow through figures such as Benjamin West and Thomas Lawrence, who introduced him in society among people who would afford portraits.

P.41-1962