Portrait Of An English Lady. Oil On Canvas. Early 18th Century

Refined female portrait from the English school, oil on canvas, depicting a noblewoman in period costume, painted with meticulous attention to detail and psychological expression. The lady is portrayed in a composed yet natural pose, adorned with symbolic elements that emphasize her social status: the three pearls on her bodice, a clear sign of wealth, refinement, and aristocratic lineage, and the small bouquet of buds she gracefully holds, possibly an allegory of youth, delicacy, or matrimonial promise.

The attire, compositional taste, and portrait style suggest an English commission from the early 18th century, a period when noble portraiture was still influenced by Flemish and French schools, while increasingly affirming a local aesthetic of restrained elegance and decorous realism.

The canvas, relined several years ago, is in very good condition, housed in a 19th-century gilded frame with moulded decoration that harmoniously enhances the subject. The painting stands out for its pictorial quality, the rendering of fabrics and jewels, and the delicacy of the sitter’s features—elements that point to the hand of a cultured workshop painter, likely active in the London area.