Miss Sarah White

In 1771 the Bath Assembly Rooms were finally completed, Captain Cook returned home from his first circumnavigation voyage and Sarah White, just two years old, had her portrait drawn for her family to treasure for generations to come. She is shown in a pretty tiered dress with a wide ribbon sash with dainty shoes and flowers in her curled hair. She appears to be holding a toy on a string.

Drawn in graphite on vellum, the portrait is presented in the original turned wood frame with an inner sanded border. There is a little dust-soiling and a mark to the background and slight wrinkling to the vellum but overall this remains a charming little portrait. The wooden backing board, originally sealed with red wax, is inscribed ‘Miss Sarah White / aged 2 years: / 1771 :’.