Artwork
Mrs. Thomas Pechell (Charlotte Clavering, died 1841)
Mrs. Thomas Pechell (Charlotte Clavering, died 1841) is an oil painting by John Hoppner. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
John Hoppner's oil painting, Mrs. Thomas Pechell (Charlotte Clavering, died 1841), dates to 1800. This portrait captures Charlotte Clavering, the wife of Thomas Pechell, in a formal pose. The artwork is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it represents a notable example of early 19th-century British portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
Her countenance conveys a sense of tranquility, marked by a gentle, understated smile, and her facial contours are rendered with a delicate touch.
The portrait presents Charlotte Clavering in a right-facing profile, her gaze directed outward. She is depicted with dark, flowing hair partially covered by a white headpiece, dressed in a high-necked, long-sleeved white gown. A dark shawl rests upon her left shoulder. Her countenance conveys a sense of tranquility, marked by a gentle, understated smile, and her facial contours are rendered with a delicate touch.
Technique & Style
Hoppner employs oil paint to create a rich visual texture. The artist utilizes chiaroscuro, a technique involving strong contrasts between light and dark, to imbue the composition with depth and three-dimensionality. This approach causes the luminous rendering of the sitter's face and attire to emerge prominently from the subdued, darker background, enhancing the overall dramatic effect.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Hoppner (4 April 1758 – 23 January 1810) was an English painter, much influenced by Joshua Reynolds, who achieved fame as a colourist.
The Hoppner Children
The Sackville Children
Richard Humphreys, the Boxer
Mrs. John Garden (Ann Garden, 1769–1842) and Her Children, John (1796–1854) and Ann Margaret (born 1793)
Lady Cunliffe
Mrs. Richard Bache (Sarah Franklin, 1743–1808)
Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Hester Jane Ogle, 1775/76–1817) and Her Son (Charles Brinsley Sheridan, 1796–1843)
Major Thomas Pechell (1753–1826)
