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Miss Offy Palmer
(c. 1777-1781)
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
76.7 × 64.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1911
Gallery location
17th to 18th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Theophila (‘Offy’) Palmer (1757–1848) was the favourite niece of Sir Joshua Reynolds and model for his acclaimed ‘fancy’ picture Strawberry Girl, 1773 (Wallace Collection, London). Offy kept house for Reynolds in London before marrying Robert Gwatkin of Plymouth in 1781. This portrait possibly dates from the period of Offy’s courtship. This painting, which has recently undergone conservation treatment, is now considered a studio copy after a portrait that Reynolds made for the Gwatkin family before 1781, perhaps by the hand of Reynolds’s sister, Frances (‘Fanny’) Reynolds (1729–1807).
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
England
Accession Number
540-2
Department
International Painting
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited
Subjects (general)
Portraits
Subjects (specific)
dresses (garments) gloves hairstyles half figures profiles (figures) seated figures shawls women (female humans)