Elegant Miss Linley

This is an attractive portrait of a young lady named as Miss G. Linley. She is dressed for the evening’s entertainment in a wide-shouldered blue silk dress with short puffed sleeves and a narrow waistband and a paler blue wrap. She has also put on her best gold jewellery for the occasion including drop earrings and a fob watch on a heavy guard chain. Her dark hair has been curled and is decorated with a pink rose.

The portrait is signed on the reverse ‘by J. T. Mitchell / 11 Strand / 1828’ with a later inscription ‘From M.E. to W.E. Novr 14th 1835 Buncrana’ [Ireland]. The painting is housed in the original red leather travelling case lined with cream silk. It has been personalised by the addition of a fine strand of plaited hair arranged in the shape of a shamrock, probably intended as a love token.

J. T. Mitchell painted both miniatures and silhouettes and exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1798 and 1830 before setting sail to work in Baltimore, USA. He charged between three and five guineas for a portrait.