T

homas Gainsborough was a famous English painter, draughtsman, and printmaker of 18th century. After short stays in London, Sudbury and Ipswich, Gainsborough moved to Bath in 1759 and achieved popularity there by painting wealthy visitors. His style during this time was influenced by seeing paintings by Anthony van Dyck, the seventeenth-century painter (Rosenthal, Grove). He also remained connected to London: he exhibited at the Society of Arts from 1761 and was a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768 (Rosenthal, Grove). As Baetjer says, “his eye for female beauty and capacity to capture it on canvas were legendary, as was his instinct for dealing with notable and notorious clients” (39).

This full-length portrait was initially exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1778. The woman depicted is Mrs. Grace Dalrymple Elliott, a Scottish socialite closely connected to the Earl of Cholmondeley, who also commissioned the portrait. The former wife of Dr. (later Sir) Elliott, “Dally the Tall” was known for her beauty and her height, and had liaisons with nobles such as the Earl of Cholmondeley, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Orléans (The Frick). She certainly counted amongst Gainsborough’s notable and notorious clients: early Royal Academy catalogs only referred to royals and certain public figures by name, and this portrait was no exception. However, she was famous enough that when the London Morning Post referred to her as “the beautiful Mrs. E.” in the context of this portrait, readers knew her identity (Baetjer 39).

On March 30, 1782, Mrs. Elliott gave birth to a daughter, who was allegedly fathered by the Prince of Wales; this daughter was later adopted by the Earl of Cholmondeley and raised in his family. About one month later, another portrait of Mrs. Elliott by Gainsborough, this time commissioned by the Prince of Wales, was exhibited at the Royal Academy (Fig. 1).

Van Dyck’s influence on Gainsborough is best exemplified through his treatment of drapery and emphasis on the face. The fabric Mrs. Elliott holds to her torso is allowed to fall in folds, highlighting the gleam of the fabric, while Gainsborough’s brushwork grows progressively looser away from her face (Baetjer 39). Similar techniques can be seen in Van Dyck’s 1622 portrait of Teresia Sampsonia, Lady Shirley (Fig. 2). Van Dyck has also highlighted his subject’s face, treating it with a high level of detail. She wears a gold-colored mantel and a matching long-sleeved gown; both appear to be decorated and trimmed with red fabric. Van Dyck’s loose brushwork captures the movement and luxuriousness of the fabric, while hinting at elaborate embellishments.

Van Dyck’s influence was not limited to brushwork, however. He popularized a style of composition where the subject is painted in full, standing before a tranquil landscape, such as in his 1636 portrait of Lady Anne Carey (Fig. 3). Van Dyck’s use of pastoral scenes in his portraits of English aristocrats suggested safety from the volatile politics of the day (The Frick). Gainsborough’s portrait of Mrs. Elliott echoes this composition, though the landscape is seen through an open doorway, and Mrs. Elliott’s surroundings are not immediately clear.

Thomas Gainsborough (British, 1727–1788). Mrs. Grace Dalrymple Elliott (1754?-1823), 1778. Oil on canvas; 234.3 x 153.7 cm (92 1/4 x 60 1/2 in). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 20.155.1. Bequest of William K. Vanderbilt, 1920. Source:
The Met

The gown that Mrs. Elliott wears emphasizes her figure. Her bodice is low-cut and ends in a point; she wears it over a matching divided skirt and white petticoat. The sleeves of her bodice are tight, ending just above the elbow in loose white cuffs. The edges of her bodice and skirts are lavishly trimmed with lace and pearls. She carries a matching gold wrap, which she uses to cover herself “in a gesture that suggests vulnerability” (Baetjer 39). A similar ensemble can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum (Fig. 3). The V&A gown shares the overall silhouette and color scheme of Mrs. Elliott’s gown; though untrimmed today, it could have been originally embellished.

Mrs. Elliott has finished her ensemble with fashionable accessories. A white ribbon is threaded through her hair, which is powdered and piled high. Her pointed-toe shoes are embellished on the edges, which echo the details elsewhere on her gown. This style of shoe, called the “Louis” heel, was popular during this time. A similar pair, from the 1780s, are at the Met; they share the same pointed toe and low heel (Fig. 4). For jewelry, she wears small gold earrings, multi-tiered white pearl bracelets around both wrists, and a thin black ribbon around her neck. This black necklace is similar to what she wears in her 1782 portrait, in which a wider ribbon is tied in bowknot.

Diagram of referenced dress features.
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