18th Century Art Archives

Mrs. Charles Frederick (Martha Rigden, died 1794)

George Romney (English, 1734–1802)

Martha Rigden’s gaze holds steady, her lace collar delicate against the dark backdrop. There’s a quiet confidence in her posture, as if she’s just paused mid-conversation. The soft light catches the folds of her dress, hinting at a life lived beyond the frame.
Portrait of Miss Dorothy Long (1703-1758) (1737)

John Vanderbank (English, 1694–1739)

Dorothy Long’s gaze holds steady, her lace collar framing quiet confidence. The soft glow on her face hints at a life just beyond the canvas—elegant, restrained, and utterly alive.
Miss Catherine Tatton (1786)

Thomas Gainsborough (English, 1727–1788)

A young woman in a feathered hat gazes past the viewer, her lips hinting at amusement. The soft folds of her dress catch the light, while a single curl escapes its ribbon—an intimate touch in this poised portrait. There’s a quiet confidence in how she holds herself, as if privy to some private joke.
Young Girl Reading (c. 1769)

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806)

A girl leans into the book’s pages, lips parted as if whispering the words to herself. The folds of her pink dress pool around her, sunlight catching the curve of her neck. She’s forgotten everything but the story in her hands.
Doorzicht onder een brug naar terrassen en een trap (1750 – 1806)

Louis Gabriel Moreau (French, 1740–1806)

Sunlight filters through the arch of a stone bridge, casting dappled shadows on the steps below. A quiet terrace waits beyond, its empty chairs hinting at gatherings past. The scene holds a hushed expectancy, as if the next visitor might turn the corner any moment.
Chinoiserie (1765-1767)

Jean-Baptiste Pillement (French, 1728–1808)

Delicate porcelain figures dance amid swaying bamboo, their silk robes swirling like petals in an imagined Eastern breeze. Gold lacquer frames scenes of whimsical pagodas and exotic birds—a French daydream of the Orient, rendered in pastel fantasies and gilded flourishes.
Portrait Of Flutist François Devienne (1792)

Jacques Louis David (French, 1748–1825)

A young flutist leans forward, fingers poised above the instrument. His powdered wig and velvet coat contrast with the intensity in his eyes—not just a musician, but a man caught mid-thought, about to play or speak. The folds of his cravat seem to tremble with unspent breath.
Landscape (probably c. 1780)

Louis Gabriel Moreau (French, 1740–1806)

A delicate Rococo landscape unfolds—soft light filters through feathery trees, brushing gentle curves into the countryside. The scene hums with quiet elegance, every detail poised between refinement and nature’s ease. It’s a world where even the air seems to shimmer with restrained grace.
Elizabeth Gunning, Duchess of Hamilton and Argyll (ca. 1760)

Sir Joshua Reynolds (English, 1723–1792)

The Duchess’s powdered hair frames her face like a cloud, her silk gown shimmering against the dark background. A slight smile plays at her lips—not quite coy, not quite warm—as if she’s decided the viewer may glimpse, but never truly know, the woman beneath the aristocratic trappings.