Description
After Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A.
Portrait of Theophila Gwatkin (1782-1844) - Simplicity
oil on canvas
30 by 25" Unframed, 35.5H x 30.75W x 2.5D Framed
Portrait of Miss Theophila Gwatkin in a Newcomb-Mackin Frame, posing as Simplicity. Theophilia sits possibly cross-legged to the right of the composition, with her head turned to the left. Her hands rest palm up in her lap. Small wild flowers rest on her hands. She wears a low-cut white short-sleeved dress with a blue sash, a white lacy mob cap with a blue bow. She has light-brown curly hair. There is a silver birch and other trees behind her, and an open landscape with trees, and some small pink flowers, to the left.
Theophilia Gwatkin was the grand-daughter of Joshua Reynolds's favourite sister, Mary. Reynolds's portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1789 with the title 'Miss Gwatkin' and engraved in the same year by F. Bartolozzi with the title 'Simplicity'. The young girl alone in a natural setting exudes innocence and uncomplexities.
Newcomb-Macklin picture frames were distinguished by their unique, perpendicular corner splines, a construction feature that prevented the corners of a frame from separating over time. Basswood was the company's preferred wood for hand-carving, eventually giving way to poplar as the domestic supply of basswood dwindled in the 1960s. Newcomb-Macklin frames were gilded with a wide variety of gold leaf, silver leaf and metal leaf finishes.
Sir Joshua Reynolds
1723 - 1792
Reynolds was the leading English portraitist of the 18th century. Through study of ancient and Italian Renaissance art, and of the work of Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck, he brought great variety and dignity to British portraiture.
Reynolds was born at Plympton in Devon, the son of a headmaster and fellow of Balliol College, Oxford: a more educated background than that of most painters. He was apprenticed in 1740 to the fashionable London portraitist Thomas Hudson, who also trained Wright of Derby. He spent 1749-52 abroad, mainly in Italy, and set up practice in London shortly after his return.
He soon established himself as the leading portrait painter, though he was never popular with George III. He was a key figure in the intellectual life of London, and a friend of Dr Johnson. When the Royal Academy was founded in 1768, Reynolds was elected its first President. Although believing that history painting was the noblest work of the painter, he had little opportunity to practise it, and his greatest works are his portraits.
His paintings are not perfectly preserved due to faulty technique. The carmine reds have faded, leaving flesh-tones paler than intended, and the bitumen used in the blacks has tended to crack.
35.5H x 30.75W x 2.5D Framed
Period: 19th Century
Condition: Good. Fair. Wear consistent with age and use.
Creation Date: 1860
Styles / Movements: Western
Dealer Reference #: 101-WR13
Incollect Reference #: 740298
Reserve: $19,125.00
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Buyer's Premium
20%
After Sir Joshua Reynolds, Oil on Canvas of Theophila Gwatkin, Newcomb-Macklin
Estimate $23,000-$28,000
Starting Price
$9,500
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Shipping & Pickup DetailsItem located in: Connecticut, US Offers In-House Shipping
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53863
Era of Elegance: Furniture & Dec Arts
Apr 02, 2026 9:00 AM EDTNew York, NY, United States
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