Art Funded by you

Portrait of an Actress

Daniel Gardner, 1775

© Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria, UK

Gardner was Reynolds' assistant for a short period and his style clearly owes much to this contact. Towards the end of his life he befriended the young John Constable, whose portrait he painted. This picture is a good example of Gardner's attractive and idiosyncratic style. It depicts a woman in a landscape holding a mask of Comedy. Gardner was no great draughtsman (note the right arm), but had a strong sense of feminine grace and a nice feeling for landscape - no doubt something that drew him to Constable. He preferred to work boldly in gouache, often combined with pastel rather than oil, and most of his portraits are on a reduced scale. Many, including this one, have a characteristic type of frame which he seems to have designed himself.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Portrait of an Actress, 1775

Date supported

1980

Medium and material

Gouache

Dimensions

82 x 50 cm

Grant

3962

Total cost

15850

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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