Portrait of a young woman, called Harriet Wright (the artist's daughter), in a feigned oval, turned to the right. She wears a white neckerchief or fichu over a white or pale coloured gown. Around her head is a white or pale coloured headband from which curls and tendrils of dark hair fall loose and over her shoulders. The entire portrait is painted in brown or sepia monochrome. Painted by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797). Oil on canvas in gilded frame.

Exhibitions:

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: An Exhibition to Commemorate the Centenary of Derby Museums and Art Gallery
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 21/04/1979 to 21/07/1979

Publications

Title: Wright of Derby
Published Place: London
Copyright: The Tate Gallery
Published Year: 1990
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Light
Sub-Title: Volume 1
Volume: 1
Published Place: London
Copyright: Benedict Nicolson, 1968
Published Year: 1968

Related People

Harriet Wright (Content)
Display Date: British, 1778-1860
Nationality: British
Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797
Nationality: British
Biography: Artist.

Portrait of Harriet, the Artist's Daughter

Date: 1790

Medium: Oil on panel

Object Type:	Painting
Dimensions:	Support: 254 × 213 mm (10 × 8 3/8 in.)
Description:	Joseph Wright’s second daughter Harriet was probably in her early to mid-teens when her father painted this portrait. It is one of just a few monochrome paintings produced by Wright; a technique he appears to have reserved for portraits of close friends and family members. According to her cousin Hannah Wright, Harriet was close to her father and ‘attended on him night and day’ as his health worsened. She was nineteen when he died. Harriet remained unmarried and later travelled to Australia at the age of 63 to settle with her two great-nieces near Melbourne. She died of influenza at the age of 82 and is buried in the River Plenty Cemetery in Victoria.
Provenance:	...; M. T. A. Pocock, from whom purchased in 1967.
Viewing Status:	Contact Us
Item Ref:	1967-848