A Lady with a Gold Chain and Earrings

Robert Braithwaite Martineau (1844–1930)

1861

Oil on panel

, 14 x 10 inches (35.6 x 25.4 cm).

Collection of Manchester City Art Galleries, accession no. 1985.13.

This is a half-length portrait of an unknown attractive young woman with her long dark hair pulled back. She wears a lilac dress and a dark shawl pinned at the neck by a gold broach with jewels. She also wears large gold earrings and has a long gold chain around her neck, which she holds dramatically in her right hand. Her dress and accessories suggest a woman of wealth and high social status. Her facial features are lit dramatically from the left, throwing her face into sharp relief against the dark background. This highly effective portrait makes us regret that Martineau did not venture more frequently into this branch of art. It might be the A Portrait that Martineau exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1862, no. 258. — Dennis T. Lanigan

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