Gainsborough painted this portrait of Anne Pleydell (nee Luttrell) while he was living in Bath, a British spa city where he attracted wealthy clientele. Here, Anne dons a vogue robe a la française or “sack-back gown”, characterized by a pleated back that falls loose from the shoulders to the floor. She is wise to keep the train of her dress tucked under one arm as she stands in a dark, wooded landscape. On both wrists, she wears muti-strand pearl bracelets mounted with portrait miniatures, their images turned teasingly out of sight.

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