James Watson after Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The Hon.ble Mrs. Bouverie.

21 x 19

According to the Pocket Books kept by Joshua Reynolds at his studio, Elizabeth Bouverie sat for her portrait between 1767 and 1769, most probably at the behest of her husband, Edward Bouverie of Delapré Abbey, whom she married in 1764 at the somewhat scandalous age of just 14! She had her first child (also called Edward and included in the painting) at the age of 17 and was only 20 when the portrait was exhibited at The Royal Academy in 1770 under the title of "Portrait of a Lady and Child".

Let us remember that Reynolds painted this portrait at the height of the neo-Classical revival, hence the ridiculously ornate vase to the left of the scene, the Roman sandals, the draperies and a possible reference to Mount Vesuvius in the background. To alleviate the seriousness of the iconography, we have a mischievous child pulling at his mother's head dress and an achingly cute lap dog fast asleep at his mistress's feet. The overall impression is one of maternal tenderness as a beautiful young mother gently reprimands her infant son for playfully tugging at her veil.