James Watson after Sir Joshua Reynolds

Georgiana, Countess Spencer, and her daughter Lady Georgiana Spencer

14 x 18.5 inches

A three-quarter length mezzotint portrait by James Watson after the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds; published in London in 1770.

A charming study painted by Reynolds in 1759-61 when the younger Georgiana was between two and four years old. Unusually, the mezzotint was not commissioned until 1770, many years after the painting was completed. Art critics have debated whether this image has Madonna like qualities but irrespective of this attribution it is a very tender depiction of maternal love. Certainly, there appears to be a spontaneity to the pose and the delightful inclusion of the family dog only adds to the domesticity of the scene.

In later life Georgiana (1757-1806) went on to become the most remarkable in a long and illustrious line of the Duchesses of Devonshire; balancing her political interests with stellar social success, a tempestuous marriage and an astonishing addiction to gambling.