Artwork

Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn

Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn, by Daniel Gardner, gouache, 1775
Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn, by Daniel Gardner, gouache, 1775

Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn is a gouache drawing by the Romanticist artist Daniel Gardner. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1775, *Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn* is a pastel portrait with graphite and gouache accents on specially prepared paper, characteristic of Daniel Gardner’s oeuvre.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait captures a contemplative moment of its subject, Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn, conveyed through a relaxed pose with her chin resting on her hand, set against a subdued, dimly lit background.

Technique & Style

Gardner employed soft, lively pastel hues, loose brushstrokes, and subtle graphite details, blending informality in figure drawing with elegant refinement, reflective of his distinctive handling of the medium.

History & Provenance

Executed in Gardner’s Bond Street studio, this work catered to London’s elite, reflecting late 18th-century portraiture conventions, with possible influences from contemporaries like Joshua Reynolds.

Context

Part of a series of small-scale, fashionable portraits by Gardner, *Charlotte, Lady Watkin Williams-Wynn* embodies the intimate, high-society portraiture prevalent among London’s aristocracy during the late 1700s.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Daniel Gardner

Artist

Daniel Gardner

Daniel Gardner (1750 – 8 July 1805) was an English painter, best known for his work as a portraitist.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.