Miss Montagu
Artist
Thomas Gainsborough
(English, 1727 - 1788)
CultureEnglish
Dateca. 1774
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions30 x 25 in. (76.2 x 63.5 cm)
Overall, Frame: 39 1/4 x 34 3/8 in. (99.7 x 87.3 cm)
Overall, Frame: 39 1/4 x 34 3/8 in. (99.7 x 87.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.528
Not on view
DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting. It depicts the youngest child and only daughter of Admiral John Montagu of Avisford. She is painted in three quarter profile, her gaze directed at the viewer. Neutral tones emphasize her delicate features.Label TextThomas Gainsborough English, 1727–1788 Miss Montagu, ca. 1774 Oil on canvas Sophia Montagu, the only daughter of English Baronet John Montagu, poses in a chic costume of grey satin, gold fringe, and strings of pearls. The loose brushstrokes of the shimmering attire contrast with the precision Thomas Gainsborough used to paint her face. This formula was popular with British nobility, and it ensured a steady stream of aristocratic clients at the artist’s studio in the resort town of Bath. Portraitists in America learned how to give dignity and elegance to their sitters by studying the works of Gainsborough and his British contemporaries. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.528 ProvenanceThe Montagu family, Avisford near Arundel, England; Thomas Agnews and Sons, London, 1907; Mrs. Emily Vanderbilt White, New York; Knoedler Art Galleries, New York, 1947; Howard Young Galleries, New York, 1948; Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.; Chrysler Museum at Norfolk, 1971. Exhibition History"The Annual Exhibition," Thomas Agnews and Sons, London, Nov. - Dec., 1907. (Exhib. cat. no. 14). "Twenty-One Great Paintings," Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, July 20 - Aug. 30, 1947. (Exhib. cat. no. 11). "Paintings from the Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.," Portland Art Museum, Oregon; Seattle Art Museum; California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Minneapolis Art Institute; St. Louis City Art Museum; William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City; Detroit Institute of Arts; and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, March 2, 1956 - April 14, 1957. (Exhib. cat. no. 21). "Chrysler Art Museum of Provincetown Inaugural Exhibition," Provincetown, Massachusetts, 1958. (Exhib. cat. no. 20). "Reopening of the Joan P. Brock Galleries," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., Opening in March of 2008. Published ReferencesEllis Waterhouse, "Gainsborough," London, 1958, p. 82, no. 494. Bertina S. Manning. _Paintings from the Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.: An Exhibition Organized by the Portland Art Museum, Oregon_. Portland: Portland Art Association. 1956. No. 21. Bertina S. Manning. _Chrysler Art Museum at Provincetown Inaugural Exhibition_. Provincetown, Massachusetts: Chrysler Art Museum of Provincetown. 07/1958. No. 20. Eric M. Zafran and Mario Amaya. _Treasures from the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk and Walter P. Chrysler, Jr._. Tennessee Fine Arts Center at Cheekwood, Nashville. 1977. No. 24. Jefferson C. Harrison. _The Chrysler Museum Handbook of the European and American Collections: Selected Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings_. The Chrysler Museum. 1991. Page 77, #58.
