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Pamela and Lady Davers

Pamela and Lady Davers
 (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

Knowing his family will frown upon their marriage, Squire B. and the maidservant Pamela take their wedding vows in secret. Squire B.’s sister, Lady Davers (now Pamela’s sister-in-law), is indeed outraged and brutally accuses Pamela of indecent behaviour. Pamela, however, holds her own, declaring that: ‘I must tell your ladyship, I scorn your words and am as much married as your ladyship!’

Artwork Details

Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
63.5 × 76.2 cm
Accession Number
1117-3
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) conflict (general sense) dresses (garments) gesture literary characters maids (servants) 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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Susanna Highmore by Joseph Highmore: a father’s perspective
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A father paints his daughter | Susanna Highmore

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