Hester and Queeney Thrale by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Posted 1 November 2009 - 11:53pm by David Thrale
Hester and Queeney Thrale by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Hester Lynch Thrale and daughter Hester Maria Thrale. Painted in 1777 or 1778.

Hester Thrale wrote to her friend Fanny Burney about the portrait1, complaining that

there is really no resemblance, and the character is less like my father's daughter than Pharaoh's.

In the event, Mrs Thrale's portrait was not hung with the other portraits in the library, on the pretext that her husband did not like it.2. Hester Lynch Thrale wrote verses about this portrait.

The portrait sold by Hester on 10 May 18163, bought by Samuel Boddington, merchant for £81 and 18 shillings, his sale Christie's 9 June 18664, bought by Louisa, Lady Ashburton; Mrs Hamilton McKown Twombly; her sale New York 1942; M. Knoedler and Company; bought by Lord Beaverbrook 1955, for Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Canada.

See also: William Finden's engraving of Hester Thrale from this portrait.

  • 1. Yung 1984, p.113
  • 2. Leslie and Taylor 1865, vol.2, p.313.
  • 3. Lot 58, withdrawn
  • 4. Lot 311.

Comments

Beaverbrook Art Gallery

by Janet Burgess (not verified) - 30 Aug 2009 - 20:14

David,
I'm writing to you from the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada - home of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, where the Reynolds' masterpiece "Mrs. Thrale and Her Daughter Queeney" now resides.

"Mrs. Thrale" was acquired by Lord Beaverbrook (Sir Max Aitken - historically connected to "The Daily Express" in London) in 1955, and has been a jewel of our collection in the gallery since he "gifted" it to the people of New Brunswick in 1959.

As a Docent at the gallery, I'm working on a presentation of "The Real Mrs. Thrale", for Gallery members' information. After searching our archives, and reading various printed references, I have been visiting the web, and was delighted to find your informative website. I feel as if I am receiving "the real goods" on the lady, as information here is from "family".

My work on this particular paper is nearly complete, but I have other unfinished work involving Hester Lynch (Salusbury) Thrale. It concerns a painting ostensibly of her (that full name is inscribed within the painting itself), and the painting is not signed. It was originally ascribed to Nathaniel Dance, but in recent years, some art "experts" have come to believe that it was done by Copley.

May I send you more information about this, in the hope that you can shed some light on questions which have arisen from this new "authorship" of Mrs. Thrale's likeness?

Thank you for your kind attention. I hope to learn more concerning this subject.

Janet Burgess.

David Thrale's picture

Delighted to hear more

by David Thrale - 5 Feb 2010 - 20:37

Janet

I saw the The Hester and Queeney image when it came on tour to the National Portrait Gallery in London last year. It is fantastic. The colours are stunning.

I would be delighted if there are any details about the portrait which I do not have that you could add about the portrait. Although I believe the image is public domain, I'd also appreciate consent from BAG to reproduce the imaged on my site.

You can see my relationship with Hester here.

I was interested to hear about the other Hester portrait. Yes I'd be delighted to receive more information from you about these. You can see all my Hester images here. Is it one of these? I have one attributed to Copley here and one attributed to Dance here.

Thanks again for making contact and I look forward to hearing from you again.

Thrale.com owner: David Thrale · My blog
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Hester Maria Thrale Hester Maria Thrale (Queeney)
17 September 1764 - 31 March 1857
Queeney Images · Family tree · First verses · Coaching accident · Almshouses · Crowmarsh dispute
Nicknames Queeney. Nig. Niggy. Tit. Birdey. Hetty. Samuel Johnson affectionately called her Sweeting.
George Keith Image · Daughter
People Grandfather · Father · Mother · Samuel Johnson · Streatham Worthies · King Louis XVI & Queen Marie Antoinette
Writings about According to Queeney · According to Beryl · The Thrales of Streatham Park · Thraliana