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Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755–1828)
Henrietta Elizabeth Frederica Vane, 1782–83
Oil on canvas; 65 7/8 x 38 5/8 in. (167.3 x 98.1 cm)
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Mass., Gift in memory of Jessie Rand Goldthwait, class of 1890, by her husband, Dr. Joel E. Goldthwait, and daughter, Mrs. Roger Bennett (Margaret Rand Goldthwait, class of 1921), 1957
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In 1783, Stuart submitted nine paintings to the annual exhibition of the Incorporated Society of Artists, a rival of the Royal Academy. Stuart's work publicized what he could offer potential clients: a range of portraits in a variety of formats. The outstanding work was this full-length portrait of Henrietta Vane (ca. 1773–1807), an enchanting ten-year-old heiress. Stuart imitated Thomas Gainsborough in technique, especially in the thinly painted trees, and he followed Sir Joshua Reynolds in overall conception: he mixed likeness and ideality in a picture of an elegant child amid ornamental flora, evoking the popular contemporary theories of nature and nurture.
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