Portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Riddell, 1763 (oil on canvas)

Mrs Elizabeth Riddell (1730-98); This picture demonstrates the new informal style of portraiture adopted by the leading London artist Joshua Reynolds in the mid-18th century. It shows Mrs Elizabeth Riddell of Swinburne Park, near Hexham in Northumberland. She is wearing a fashionable dress, rather than the kind of fantasy costume that had previously been popular in portraits. She is also posed in a natural way, walking in a landscape. The background has no draped curtains or grand architecture, and is quite sketchily painted. The overall effect is much lighter than earlier styles used for large portraits;