Portrait of Mrs Bradney
Portrait Miniature
1772 (made)
1772 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This portrait miniature on ivory of Mrs Bradney was made by Mary Benwell, a female miniature painter in eighteenth-century Britain. Benwell may have been taught in the art of the miniature and pastel by Katherine Read. Like many other women artists during this period, she turned to painting in miniature and pastel as a pathway towards financial independence and artistic agency. Benwell exhibited at the Incorporated Society of Artists, the Royal Academy, and the Society of Artists between 1761 and 1774. She was succesful during her life. Benwell's portrait of Queen Charlotte was highly celebrated and circulated widely as an engraving.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of Mrs Bradney (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour on ivory |
| Brief description | Portrait miniature, Portrait of Mrs Bradney, by Mary Benwell, watercolour on ivory, 1772 |
| Physical description | Portrait miniature on ivory of Mrs. Bradney in a pink dress against a dark background |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Dated 1772 |
| Historical context | Portrait miniatures were frequently exchanged between loved ones and family in eighteenth-century England as tokens of affection and remembrance. This portrait miniature of Mrs Bradney may have been commissioned for a similar purpose. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This portrait miniature on ivory of Mrs Bradney was made by Mary Benwell, a female miniature painter in eighteenth-century Britain. Benwell may have been taught in the art of the miniature and pastel by Katherine Read. Like many other women artists during this period, she turned to painting in miniature and pastel as a pathway towards financial independence and artistic agency. Benwell exhibited at the Incorporated Society of Artists, the Royal Academy, and the Society of Artists between 1761 and 1774. She was succesful during her life. Benwell's portrait of Queen Charlotte was highly celebrated and circulated widely as an engraving. |
| Bibliographic reference | Summary Catalogue of Miniatures in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Emmett Microform, 1981 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 48-1906 |
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| Record created | July 10, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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