(Great) Aunt Smith

Gazing out intently over the years is ‘Aunt Smith’, her face so full of character. She looks resplendent in her chestnut brown silk dress, white fichu tied at the front in a bow and choker necklace, a black lace wrap drawn over her arms. Her frizzed powdered curls are topped with a wonderfully frothy dormeuse cap edged in white lace.

Aunt Smith is shown in a garden landscape with a some sort of folly set amongst the trees. Painted in oils on canvas towards the end of the eighteenth century, the portrait is housed in a period carved and gilded frame. The reverse side has a great array of old labels conveying the provenance.

The portrait has old craquelure but does not have any paint loss. The frame would benefit from a light clean though it currently has a great patina that suits the character of the painting.