Artwork

Tysoe Saul Hancock, his wife Philadelphia, their daughter Elizabeth and their Indian maid Clarinda

Tysoe Saul Hancock, his wife Philadelphia, their daughter Elizabeth and their Indian maid Clarinda is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Joshua Reynolds. It dates from 1766 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Overview

This 1766 oil painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds presents a domestic scene featuring Tysoe Saul Hancock, his wife Philadelphia, their daughter Elizabeth, and their Indian maid Clarinda. Executed in a Rococo-influenced composition, the work is part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and exemplifies Reynolds’s approach to group portraiture during the mid‑eighteenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait brings together three members of the Hancock family with their Indian servant, highlighting the social hierarchy and familial bonds of the period. The maid’s gentle arm around the child suggests a moment of intimacy, while the father's military attire and sword convey status, and the mother’s silver dress adds a touch of elegance.

Technique & Style

Reynolds employs a refined brushwork and a soft, luminous palette characteristic of the Grand Style he advocated. The figures are rendered with careful modelling, set against a muted landscape background that recedes behind a red chair, creating depth while maintaining a harmonious, decorative quality.

History & Provenance

Commissioned in 1766, the painting remained in private hands before entering the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, where it is currently displayed. Its provenance reflects the typical trajectory of Reynolds’s works, moving from aristocratic collections to public institutions.

Context

Created at a time when British portraiture was embracing a more elevated, idealised aesthetic, the work illustrates Reynolds’s role in shaping the visual language of the era. The inclusion of an Indian maid also reflects contemporary colonial connections and the presence of exotic figures within British domestic settings.