Lady Sunderlin

This portrait depicts Lady Sunderlin (1745–1831), who married the wealthy London solicitor Richard Malone in 1778. In 1785, shortly after receiving the title ‘Baron Sunderlin of Lake Sunderlin’ by King George III, Richard Malone commissioned Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) to paint this full-length, life-sized portrait of his wife.

The tall, slim form of the 41-year-old Lady Sunderlin shines brightly against a background of shadowed trees.

On the right, the scenery opens out into a broad evening landscape. The viewer’s gaze is led over hills and bushes towards the pale mountains in the distance.

Thanks to its warm colouring and loose, hazy brushwork, the landscape plays an essential role in establishing the picture’s overall effect.

With her right hand, Lady Sunderlin grasps the luxurious folds of her flowing white silk grown, as if having just paused in her movements.

The composition follows the conventions of 17th-century court portraiture, which were strongly influenced by Anthony van Dyck’s (1599–1641) work at the court of Charles I in London.

By referring to this tradition, Reynolds emphasises his subject’s high rank.

The details of Lady Sunderlin’s attire, however, from her finely-worked chiffon shawl…

and the rich gold embroidery on her sleeves…

to her loosely tied golden belt…

and the blue bandeau in her hair all represent the height of fashion of her day.

This combination of contemporary fashion with a traditional portrait genre, rendered in a grand painterly style, makes this one of the finest examples of Reynold’s portrait works. A renowned artist and, for many years, president of the Royal Academy of Arts, Reynolds painted this picture in the last years of his life.