The clothing depicted in this portrait suggests a date of about 1788 to 1792, with a wide low necline of the gown filled with voluminous Kercheif. Her high-crowned, wide -brimmed hat with its large ribbon bow is particulalry fashionable for this period. With thanks to Dr Susan North from the V and A for her help in identifying the clothing. Francis Alleyne was a British portrait painter, usually on a small scale. He seems to have specialised in small, oval, three-quarter lengths, usually signed on the back, which look like middle class versions of Wheatley's more elegant small portraits.
Francis Alleyne was a British portrait painter, usually on a small scale. He seems to have specialised in small, oval, three-quarter lengths, usually signed on the back, which look like middle class versions of Wheatley's more elegant small portraits.