Artwork

Portrait of Angelina Smith (1770-1808), Daughter of Michael Smith, future 1st Bt

Portrait of Angelina Smith (1770-1808), Daughter of Michael Smith, future 1st Bt is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Robert Home. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.

About this work

If you're interested in learning more about the artist behind this piece, you might want to look up Robert Home.

This painting features a woman seated on a couch, wearing a white dress and a brown head covering. Her right arm rests on the couch's back, while her left arm is positioned on her lap. The couch is adorned with a brown pillow and a brown blanket draped over its back.

The woman's attire and the couch's upholstery suggest a formal setting, possibly from the late 18th century. The artist's use of oil paint adds depth and texture to the scene.

If you're interested in learning more about the artist behind this piece, you might want to look up Robert Home.

Overview

Robert Home’s 1796 oil portrait presents Angelina Smith, the daughter of Michael Smith, who would later be created the first baronet of his line. The sitter is shown seated on an upholstered couch, dressed in a white gown with a modest brown head covering, her posture calm and composed. The work belongs to the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The painting records a young woman of the Anglo‑Irish gentry at the close of the eighteenth century, emphasizing her social standing through refined attire and a dignified pose. The white dress and restrained accessories convey modesty, while the careful arrangement of the couch and drapery suggests a domestic interior appropriate to a family of emerging prominence.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, Home employs a neoclassical approach typical of the period, favoring smooth modelling and a muted palette. Subtle chiaroscuro gives the figure three‑dimensionality, and the delicate rendering of fabrics—particularly the white dress and brown upholstery—creates a tactile sense of texture without overt dramatization.

History & Provenance

Although Home spent several years in the Indian subcontinent after arriving there in 1791, this portrait was completed in Europe, likely before his return to Britain. The canvas entered the National Gallery of Ireland’s holdings in the twentieth century, where it remains part of the institution’s representation of late‑eighteenth‑century portraiture.

Artist & collection

Artist

Robert Home

Robert Home (1752–1834) was a British oil portrait painter who travelled to the Indian subcontinent in 1791. During his travels he also painted historic scenes and landscapes.