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, English, 1723-1792
Title
Portrait of Mrs William Fortescue (1733/34-1820), later Countess of Clermont
Datec.1761-1762
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
75 x 62 cm
Credit LineBequeathed, Sir Hugh Lane, 1918
Object numberNGI.790
Label TextThis Irish high-society lady, whose husband William was MP for Co. Louth, moved in fashionable circles. She was friends with Marie-Antoinette and frequently visited Versailles. The memoirist Nathaniel Wraxall described Mrs Fortescue as indiscreet, unguarded, and an ardent devotee of pleasure. The triangular composition is inspired by portrait paintings by Renaissance artists, including Raphael, whose work Reynolds studied while in Italy from 1750 to 1752.