Catherine, Lady Bampfylde

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Considered one of the greatest of all English mezzotints, this print of Lady Catherine Bampfydle demonstrates precisely why artists in 18th-century Britain adopted the process in such earnest. During this time, mezzotint was primarily used to translate oil paintings into printed form rather than for original expression. This portrait of Lady Bampfydle exemplifies the delicate uses of half tones to convey rich texture and depth. Reynolds’s model contributes its witty adaptation in reverse of the famous antique Venus de’ Medici . Though fully clothed (unlike the sculpture), this society Venus languidly gestures as if to cover herself from prying eyes.

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