Sophia, Lady Burdett

1 portrait

by Sir Thomas Lawrence
oil on canvas, after 1793
93 1/2 in. x 56 1/2 in. (2375 mm x 1435 mm)
Bequeathed by Rt Hon. William Ashmead Bartlett Burdett-Coutts, 1952
Primary Collection
NPG 3821

Click on the links below to find out more:

Sitterback to top

Sophia, Lady Burdett (1775-1844), Wife of Sir Francis Burdett. Sitter in 1 portrait.

Artistback to top

Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), Portrait painter, collector and President of the Royal Academy. Artist associated with 682 portraits, Sitter in 25 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This portrait depicts Lady Burdett in a woodland setting, apparently resting on a stile after collecting flowers, one of which she has tucked into the folds of her gown. She wears a low plain hairstyle and carries a straw milkmaid or bergère hat with a ribbon tie. Such hats were popular in the 1750s and 60s and their use was continued only by working country women in later years. Lady Burdett's deliberate adoption of this old-fashioned, pastoral style aims to lend her a simple charm, though it is at odds with her spotless white dress, dainty pointed slipper-shoes and the fashionable detailing of her accessories. Her pink shawl is edged with modish 'steel embroidery' - incorporating shiny bands of steel thread - while her kid gloves are in the fashionable 'York tan' shade.