Pamela preparing to go home [Pamela, Plate 4]

Date1745

After work by Joseph Highmore (ca. 1692-1780)

Engraver Antoine Benoist 1721 - 1770

MediumLine engraving and etching on laid paper

DimensionsOverall: 12 1/2 × 16 3/8 in (31.75 × 41.59cm) (includes false margins)
Other (Platemark): 11 3/4 × 14 7/8 in (29.84 × 37.78cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1968-280,4

DescriptionThe lower margin reads: "Jos. Highmore inv.t et pinxit./ A. Benoist sculp./ Pamela having divided her Clothes into three Bundles, in order to leave the House, rejects/ that containing her Masters presents, calling it the wicked bundle, & harangues over her own little/ Parcel, which she huggs in her Arms; this occasions an exclamation from M.rs Jervis: M.r B. in y.e Closet/ listening./ Pamela ayant separe ses hardes en trois paquets, dans le dessein de quitter la maison,/ fait un discours touchant au sujet du sien propre, qu'elle tient entre ses bras; ce qui donne lieu a/ Mad.me Jervis de faire des exclamations M.r B. est aux ecoutes dans le cabinet./ Published according to Act of Parliament July 1.st 1745."Label TextThis is part four of a twelve-part series based on Samuel Richardson's highly successful epistolatory novel Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded which was one of the most influential works of English literature of the 18th century. Written in the form of letters and journal entries through the eyes of Pamela Andrews, a 15-year-old domestic servant, as she as she rejects the repeated failed seductions and attempted kidnappings by her wealthy employer, Mr. B. It's also a work of conduct literature about marriage, morality, and social class. It's heroine, Pamela navigates her low position in society and her religious training to remain "virtuous" against all odds. Between 1744 and 1745, the painter Joseph Highmore published advertisements seeking subscribers to support the publication of engravings based on his twelve paintings representing scenes from the novel. The prints were published with inscriptions in English and French to appeal to a wide audience.

In the fourth scene, Pamela considers leaving her position and rejects gifts from Mr. B, who is hiding in the closet eavesdropping as she talks to the housekeeper Mrs. Jervis. The caption reads: "Pamela having divided her Clothes into three Bundles, in order to leave the House, rejects that containing her Masters presents, calling it the wicked bundle, & harangues over her own little Parcel, which she huggs in her Arms; this occasions an exclamation from M.rs Jervis: M.r B. in y.e Closet listening."ProvenanceBefore 1968, Frank Partridge & Sons, Ltd. (London, England); 1968-present, purchased by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)