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Pamela preparing to go home

Pamela preparing to go home
 (1743-1744)

Medium
oil on canvas
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1921
Gallery location
17th to 18th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
 

About this work

In Samuel Richardson’s novel Pamela, in order to avoid further threats to her virtue, decides to leave Danby Hall, where the lecherous Squire B. employs her. We see her preparing to depart. At her feet are the sumptuous clothes offered to her by Squire B., which she refuses to accept, as they would be ‘the price of my shame’. Instead, she clutches her own poor rags to her chest.

Artwork Details

Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
63.5 × 76.2 cm
Accession Number
1115-3
Department
International Painting
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1921
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
Gallery location
17th to 18th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
Subjects (general)
Human Figures Literary and Text Relationships and Interactions
Subjects (specific)
bonnets (hats) departures gesture literary characters maids (servants) seductions social classes virtue
Movements
Rococo
Frame
Original, surface not original

Frame

Joseph Highmore painted twelve scenes from Samuel Richards novel Pamela (1740-41) of which four are in the collection of the NGV.
The paintings date to 1743-44. The four paintings are housed in nearly identical frames.
The frame on Pamela fainting is slightly at variance with the other three, either through restoration or being a later reproduction to fit the group.

The painting was cleaned in 2002.

Frame Details

Framemaker
Unknown - 18th century

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