Henry Robert Morland

A Laundry Maid Ironing

c.1765–82

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Not on display

Artist: Henry Robert Morland 1716–1797
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 743 x 616 mm
frame: 942 x 817 x 92 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Purchased 1894
Reference: N01403

Display caption

Throughout his life Morland painted 'fancy subjects' of servant maids, ballad-singers and oyster-girls, all very similar to this pair. They are derived in large from Mercier's earlier fancy pictures of scenes of domestic occupation, which he produced with an eye to the print market. The tradition that these pictures are actually portraits of famous contemporary society beauties is simply a sentimental notion, and in fact Morland exhibited at least five similar pairs of pictures between 1768 and 1782.

Gallery label, August 2004

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