Henry Robert Morland

A Laundry Maid Ironing

c.1765–82

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

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

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Explore

You might like

Henry Walton, ‘Plucking the Turkey’ exhibited 1776

Henry Walton Plucking the Turkey

exhibited 1776
N02870
Henry Robert Morland, ‘A Lady’s Maid Soaping Linen’ c.1765–82

Henry Robert Morland A Lady’s Maid Soaping Linen

c.1765–82
N01402
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Sir James Hodges’ 1765

Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir James Hodges

1765
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N03545
William Hogarth, ‘Sigismunda Mourning over the Heart of Guiscardo’ 1759

William Hogarth Sigismunda Mourning over the Heart of Guiscardo

1759
N01046
Francis Cotes, ‘Portrait of a Lady’ 1768

Francis Cotes Portrait of a Lady

1768
N04689
Henry Walton, ‘A Girl Buying a Ballad’ exhibited 1778

Henry Walton A Girl Buying a Ballad

exhibited 1778
T07594
John Hamilton Mortimer, ‘George Thompson, his Wife and (?) his Sister-in-Law’ c.1766–8

John Hamilton Mortimer George Thompson, his Wife and (?) his Sister-in-Law

c.1766–8
N06158
Allan Ramsay, ‘Lady Hall of Dunglass’ 1752

Allan Ramsay Lady Hall of Dunglass

1752
N06066
William Hogarth, ‘The Staymaker (? The Happy Marriage V: The Fitting of the Ball Gown)’ c.1745

William Hogarth The Staymaker (? The Happy Marriage V: The Fitting of the Ball Gown)

c.1745
N05359
Philip Mercier, ‘A Girl Sewing’ c.1750

Philip Mercier A Girl Sewing

c.1750
T00759

Sir Joshua Reynolds and studio Portrait of a Lady

date not known
N05564
Johan Zoffany, ‘Mr and Mrs Dalton and their Niece Mary de Heulle’ c.1765–8

Johan Zoffany Mr and Mrs Dalton and their Niece Mary de Heulle

c.1765–8
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art T01895
Francis Hayman, ‘Thomas Nuthall and his Friend Hambleton Custance’ c.1748

Francis Hayman Thomas Nuthall and his Friend Hambleton Custance

c.1748
T00052
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Lady Anstruther’ 1761

Sir Joshua Reynolds Lady Anstruther

1761
N06243
Marcellus Laroon the Younger, ‘Interior with Figures’ c.1750

Marcellus Laroon the Younger Interior with Figures

c.1750
N04420