Museum number
1978.1
Object
Framed oil painting: A Lady’s Maid Soaping Linen by Henry Robert Morland (c.1716–1797), oil on canvas c. 1765 to 1782
Description
Young woman at 3/4 length standing at a bowl soaping linen, wearing sprigged dress, muslin cap and dark velvet band around throat. Plain background, dark on right-hand side. This subject is entirely typical of the elder Morland's repertoire, which includes servant maids, ballad singers and girls selling oysters. They belong to a tradition derived from Philip Mercier's very similar fancy domestic subjects of the 1740s.A fairly recent tradition has grown up that the model or the maid was one of the beautiful Gunning sisters. It is far more likely, however, that she was someone closer to Morland's own circle, possibly even his wife.
Materials
Oil
On display?
Yes

Further description

Simple name
Painting
Dimensions
framed: 7cm (d) x 97.7cm (h) x 84.4cm (w)
regular: 62.3cm (h) x 70.5cm (w)
A Lady’s Maid Soaping Linen Henry Robert Morland (about 1716–1797) Oil on canvas, between 1765 and 1782 Morland’s French-inspired ‘fancies’ of captivating servant girls were made with the growing market for decorative prints in mind. This is one of five versions of the same image, all sold to aristocratic patrons. Whilst Morland’s vision of domestic service reminds us that all linen had once to be washed by hand, this pretty maid with her slender white fingers, neat cap and figured silk gown is very far from the realities of eighteenth-century laundry work. 1978.1 Gift of Mrs Inez Murray, 1978

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