Amelia Opie

This portraitback to top

The portrait was probably painted at about the time of their marriage on 8 May 1798. The double portrait of Amelia and her sister Elizabeth with mandoline and music score shows them both wearing the same distinctive hair-style, piled high on the head with ribbon and horizontal plait (exhibited Arts Council, 1962-3, no.57). Opie's portraits of his second wife are listed in Ada Earland, John Opie and his Circle, 1911, pp 303-4. Broadly these are (1) Mrs Carr's, half-length in dark dress luxuriant hair c.1798, engraved by Ridley for The European Magazine, 1 May 1803. (2) Private collection, half-length with her sister playing mandoline. (3) NPG 765. (4) Exhibited RA Winter 1873 (50) identity doubtful. (5) 'Head of Mrs Opie a sketch', Christie's 3 June 1871 (63) though Scharf's pencil drawing in NPG copy of the catalogue shows a seated half-length with right hand to chin, black hair and dark eyes, therefore probably not Amelia but possibly Opie's first wife. (6) James Parsons's inherited from his uncle Edward Opie, head and shoulders with penetrating eyes, hair piled high with blue ribbon, dark blue dress. (7) Engraving by Mackenzie published 1 March 1801, short hair and cap. (8) Half-length offered to the NPG 1865 (Scharf's sketch in Trustees’ Sketchbooks, IX, 33), exhibited Third Exhibition of National Portraits, South Kensington, 1868 (88) lent by Miss Vincent Thompson, engraved by Hopwood published by Mathews & Leigh in The Cabinet, 1 June 1807, head and shoulders to right with similar dress and hair-style to NPG 765. (9) Half-length in frilled evening dress and triple necklace, close-curled hair, engraved by Hopwood 1817 and later by Cooper. (10) A variant of NPG 765, without the hat, is at Southill.

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length seated under a tree, white dress, holding a large white hat with black drape; brown hair plaited on top, grey eyes, fresh pink complexion; trees and sky to left.

Provenanceback to top

Alderson family and by descent to Alexander Anderdon Weston and bought from him 1887.

Exhibitionsback to top

'John Opie', Plymouth, 1957 (60); Arts Council, 1962-3.

Reproductionsback to top

Etching of the head only in vignette by Mrs Dawson Turner lettered: Mrs Opie/John Opie Esq pinx. 1798.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

View all known portraits for Amelia Opie

View all known portraits for John Opie