Mrs. Bunbury

January 15, 1791

Not on view

Catherine Bunbury, née Horneck, came to London from Devon as a girl, accompanying her mother and elder sister Mary after the loss of their father. Welcomed into the social circle of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the sisters were celebrated for their charm and beauty. Oliver Goldsmith nicknamed Catherine "Little Comedy" for her resemblance to the smiling figure in Reynolds painting "Garrick Between Tragedy and Comedy." In 1771, at the age of seventeen, Catherine married the gentleman artist-caricaturist Henry William Bunbury (1750-1811), her groom just twenty-one. The couple lived in small house on the grounds of Barton Hall, Suffolk (the main residence was occupied by Henry's elder brother, Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury). Hopper here portrays his sitter two decades later, by which time her husband had became equerry to the Duke of York.

Artwork Details

Title: Mrs. Bunbury
Engraver: John Young (British, 1755–1825 London)
Artist: After John Hoppner (British, London 1758–1810 London)
Publisher: John Young (British, 1755–1825 London)
Sitter: Catherine Bunbury (British, 1754–1799)
Date: January 15, 1791
Medium: Mezzotint; second state of two
Dimensions: Plate: 12 1/16 × 8 15/16 in. (30.7 × 22.7 cm)
Sheet: 17 in. × 12 15/16 in. (43.2 × 32.8 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Object Number: 41.105.24
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

A slider containing 4 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

A Series of Designs for Shop Fronts, Porticoes, and Entrances to Buildings, Public & Private

John Young

Martin Taylor

1843

A Series of Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey, from "The Foundation of the Monarchy to the Year 1815"

John Young

William Bulmer & Co.

1815

Infant Vanity

Multiple artists/makers

1789

Richard Humphreys, the Celebrated Boxer Who Never Was Conquered, John Young British, Mezzotint printed in color with hand coloring, between first and second states — Richard Humphreys, the Celebrated Boxer Who Never Was Conquered
Multiple artists/makers
1788

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.