Mary Isabella, Duchess of Rutland
Date1780
Engraver
Valentine Green
After work by
Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792)
OriginEngland, London
MediumMezzotint engraving on laid paper
DimensionsOverall: 25 5/16 × 16 3/16 in (64.29 × 41.12cm)
Other (Platemark): 24 × 15 3/16 in (60.96 × 38.58cm)
Other (Platemark): 24 × 15 3/16 in (60.96 × 38.58cm)
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1992-82,A&B
DescriptionLower margin reads: "Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds/ Engrav'd by V. Green Mezzotinto Engraver to his Majesty, & to the Elector Palatinae"Label TextPrints of beautiful, aristocratic women served as models of fashion, virtue, and beauty. Once called “the most beautiful woman in England,” the Duchess of Rutland was famous as a society hostess who played a strong role in strengthening her family’s political position. Her portrait was engraved for a series called “Beauties of the Present Age,” comprising large-scale mezzotints that appealed to wealthy print collectors. Most painted portraits were intended for a closed circle of family and friends, but prints circulated far and wide and across social boundaries. They also inspired new painted portraits for those who sought to resemble England’s elite. Mary Isabella’s uncle, Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron de Botetourt, served as Royal Governor of Virginia from 1768 until his death in Williamsburg in 1770. ProvenanceBefore 1992, Henry Taliaferro (New York, NY); 1992-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)
