Provenance
William Angerstein [b. 1811], Woodlands, Blackheath, Kent [England] (anon. [Angerstein] sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 20 June 1874, no. 109), bought by (Henry Graves & Co.), London. William Stuart Stirling-Crawfurd [d. 1883], Milton, Lanark; bequeathed to his wife, the Hon. Caroline Agnes [c. 1816-1894], previously Duchess of Montrose (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 4 May 1895, no. 84), bought by McLean,[1] who sold it to (Shepherd Brothers), London. (Avery), from whom it was purchased 1895 by P.A.B. Widener, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Inheritance from the Estate of Peter A.B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Elkins Park, 1942.
[1] Probably Thomas McLean, London, the dealer, who dissolved his partnership in 1902, and sold his stock at Christie's, 15 November 1902 and 21 November 1903.
Accession Number
1942.9.76
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 76 x 64 cm (29 15/16 x 25 3/16 in.) | framed: 99.7 x 87 x 7.6 cm (39 1/4 x 34 1/4 x 3 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Widener Collection
Tags
Painting Neoclassical & Romantic (1751–1850) Oil Painting Canvas
Background & Context
Background Story
Miss Nelly O'Brien is a version after Sir Joshua Reynolds's famous portrait of the Irish courtesan Nelly O'Brien, one of Reynolds's most celebrated portraits of the 1760s. Reynolds's original portrait (c. 1762-64, now in the Wallace Collection, London) is renowned for its combination of grand manner portraiture with the sensuous presence of the sitter, and copies and versions after it demonstrate how Reynolds's most successful compositions were in demand throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Nelly O'Brien was a famous beauty and courtesan of 18th-century London, and Reynolds's portrait of her is one of the most celebrated examples of his ability to combine the dignity of grand manner portraiture with the sensuous presence of a beautiful woman.
Cultural Impact
Miss Nelly O'Brien after Reynolds is important in the history of British portraiture because it demonstrates the demand for Reynolds's most successful compositions that continued for decades after the original was painted. Reynolds's original portrait of Nelly O'Brien is one of the most celebrated examples of his ability to combine grand manner portraiture with sensuous presence, and the early to mid 19th century version shows how Reynolds's compositions continued to be in demand long after his death.
Why It Matters
Miss Nelly O'Brien after Reynolds shows the enduring demand for one of Reynolds's most celebrated portraits. The early to mid 19th century version demonstrates how the most successful compositions of the first president of the Royal Academy continued to be in demand decades after the original was painted.
