Lady Elizabeth Yorke, Lady Anson (1725-1760)
studio of Thomas Hudson (Devonshire 1701 – Twickenham 1779)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1751 (?)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
43 ½ x 33 ¾ in (1105 x 857 mm)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire
NT 1271067
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Lady Elizabeth Yorke, Lady Anson (1725-1760), studio of Thomas Hudson(Devonshire 1701 – Twickenham 1779). Label: Thomas Hudson 1751. A three-quarter-length portrait, of a young woman, daughter of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, who married Lord Anson in 1748, standing, turned slightly to the right, gazing at the spectator, wearing a grey decollete dress over a white chemise, with a blue scarf caught up on a gold chain worn over her right shoulder and holding a roll of drawings, distant landscape view and blue cloudy sky on the right. The drawing of Dante is the one in red & black chalk, bearing the marks of Jonathan Richardson the Elder (Lugt 2184; cf. the drawing of Et in Arcadia Ego ascribed to Poussin, in Lord Lichfield’s collection, shown in the prime version of the present portrait) and Thomas Hudson (Lugt 2432), that is now in the Fitzwilliam Museum. Ascribed to Giulio Clovio when acquired, but later (along with the related painting in the Kress Collection in the NGA in Washington) to Battista Naldini by Federico Zeri, it is currently attributed to Carlo Dolci (by David Scrase). The original ascription to Giulio Clovio is interesting, because, in an ode subsequently published in The Gentleman’s Magazine (vol.XL, 1970, p.38), entitled ‘Ode to the Hon. Miss Yorke (afterwards Lady Anson), on her copying a Portrait of Dante by Clovio. By her Brother, the (late) Hon. Charles Yorke, Esq.’ Lady Anson’s brother (who had just died) appears to have been celebrating a painted copy by his sister of a painted original by Clovio.
Provenance
Transferred to the National Trust with Shugborough’s park and contents of the state rooms, in part-payment of death-duties to the Treasury, following the death of Thomas, 4th Earl of Lichfield (1883 - 1960)
Credit line
Shugborough, The Anson Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
studio of Thomas Hudson (Devonshire 1701 – Twickenham 1779), artist