Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
94 in. × 57 1/2 in. (238.8 × 146.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edward S. Harkness, 1940
Accession Number
50.135.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the captivating portrait of *Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby*, painted in 1790 by Sir Thomas Lawrence, one of Britain's foremost portraitists of the Romantic era. This monumental oil on canvas, measuring nearly 8 feet tall, captures the elegance and vivacity of Farren, a celebrated actress on the London stage, poised on the cusp of her transformation from theater star to nobility after marrying the 12th Earl of Derby 1797. Lawrence, who would later become president of the Royal Academy, masterfully employed his signature fluid brushwork, luminous ...