Lady Broughton
Medium
mezzotint on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 62.2 x 38.1 cm (24 1/2 x 15 in.) sheet: 63.5 x 39.6 cm (25 x 15 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Paul Mellon Fund
Accession Number
2001.96.15
Art Historical Context
**Lady Broughton** is a striking mezzotint print created in 1770 by Thomas Watson, faithfully reproducing a portrait by the celebrated Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of Britain's foremost painters of the Grand Manner style. Reynolds, founder of the Royal Academy of Arts, specialized in elegant portraits of the aristocracy, capturing their poise and refinement against dramatic backdrops. Lady Broughton, likely a member of the elite social circle, embodies the opulence of 18th-century British high society, her likeness preserved through Watson's masterful engraving. Mezzotint, the innovative techniqu...