Mary Constance
- William Beechey, English, 1753-1839
- Born: Oxfordshire, England
- Work Locations: London, England
Sir William Beechey, Mary Constance, About 1782–87. Oil paint on panel; 12 × 9 1/2 in. (30.5 × 24.1 cm). Gift of the Berger Collection Educational Trust, 2019.18
Born in Oxfordshire, William Beechey studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London before beginning his career as a painter of local gentry in Norwich, near the coast in eastern England. In this portrait of the wife of a Norwich dignitary, Francis Constance, Beechey displays the talents that would establish his reputation, including patronage by Queen Charlotte, for whom he was named royal portrait painter in 1793. Here, the high degree of finish is characteristic of his gemlike style, his attention focused on the textures of his subject’s dress, precisely representing both the generous folds of the gray satin gown and the delicacy of the sheer ruffled shawl. In contrast, he painted the background landscape with its stormy sky in a loosely brushed style reminiscent of Thomas Gainsborough.
- “Treasures from the Berger Collection: British Paintings 1400-2000” — Denver Art Museum, 10/2/2014 – 9/9/2018
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