Maria, Countess of Coventry
Printmaker:
Finlayson, John
Publisher:
Finlayson, John
Painter:
Read, Catherine
(After)
After the posthumous portrait by Scottish portraitist, Catherine Read (1723-1778). Half length in an oval frame, facing right and head inclined in this direction, looking out at the spectator. The sitter wears an ermine fur over her right shoulder and drapery over her left which is gathered in a strand of pearls hanging from her neck. A pearl dropper earring hangs in her right ear. Maria was the eldest daughter of Irishman, John Gunning (of Castle Coote, Co. Roscommon) who married George William, 6th Earl of Coventry on 5th March, 1752. She died on 30th September, 1760, aged 27 from lead poisoning caused by overuse of Venetian Ceruse (a whitening cosmetic for the face which contained white lead).
Bequeathed by Charles Brinsley Marlay, 1912
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1912) by Marlay, Charles Brinsley
18th Century#
Production date:
1771-05-15
AD 1771
Mezzotint, printed in black ink. Second state after title and dedication. Fully-lettered. Engraved with artists' names in the margin at lower left in lowercase roman letters: 'C :Read pinx.t' and lower right: 'J : Finlayson fec.t'. Title engraved in closed uppercase roman letters below: 'MARIA COUNTESS OF COVENTRY.' Dedication below to either side of the Argyll coat of arms with motto: 'NE OBLIVISCARIS' ['Never Forget']: 'Humbly dedicated to her Grave the Duchess of ARGYLL'. Publisher's details engraved below in italics: 'Published May 15th 1771, & Sold by M.r Finlayson, Orange Street, Leicester Fields.' Inscribed on the verso in graphite: 'CBM' (Charles Brinsley Marlay). inscribed on the recto in graphite: 'G' (margins, lower left); the size, in inches: '20 3/8 x 14 3/4' (margins, lower centre); 'J.C.S. 4 II' (Chaloner Smith ref., margins, lower right). Chaloner Smith states that this posthumous portrait was probably produced by Read as a companion to that of Maria's younger sister, Elizabeth, who became known as the Duchess of Argyll in 1770 when her second husband, John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne (1723 - 1806) succeeded to his father's title. Both portraits were engraved by Finlayson with dedications to Elizabeth as Duchess of Argyll, the execution of the prints timed presumably to mark her change in title from 1770. (See also P.15002-R).
Accession number: P.15001-R
Primary reference Number: 240048
Chaloner Smith: 4.II (pp.478-9)
O'Donoghue: 14
Nagler (Künstler-Lexicon): 4 ('Finlaison, John', pp.337-8)
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
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The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Maria, Countess of Coventry" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/240048 Accessed: 2024-12-31 09:04:58
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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/240048
|title=Maria, Countess of Coventry
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-31 09:04:58|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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