Miss Virginia Julian Dalrymple (Mrs Francis Champneys)

Miss Virginia Julian Dalrymple

(Mrs Francis Champneys)

George Frederic Watts RA (1817-1904)

1872

Oil on canvas

132 x 84 cm.

Courtesy the Watts Gallery, Compton [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

Virginia was the daughter of Sophia Dalrymple, née Pattle, the youngest of the seven Pattle sisters, who spent much of their time at Little Holland House in Kensington. Watts, who resided there too for many years, preferred to paint the women he knew rather than professional artist's models, and memorably conveys her thoughtful expression and very beautiful, rich emerald green dress of velvet and silk, worn here with a delicate lace ruffle and embellishment at the neckline, and trimmed with contrasting yellow braid on the sleeves — thought by Emma Coburn, as Collections Manager at the Watts Gallery, to have been more of a costume dress than evening wear.

Caption material by George P. Landow, with images of the dress, and commentary, added by Jacqueline Banerjee.