Thomas Lawrence: Porträt der Lady Selina Caroline Meade, later Countess Clam-Martinic (1797–1872) ![reasonator:Q123047601](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Wikidata-Reasonator_small_logo.svg/5px-Wikidata-Reasonator_small_logo.svg.png) |
Artist | | |
Title | Portrait of Lady Selina Caroline Meade, later Countess Clam-Martinic (1797–1872) label QS:Len,"Portrait of Lady Selina Caroline Meade, later Countess Clam-Martinic (1797–1872)" |
Object type | painting object_type QS:P31,Q3305213 |
Description | Lady Selina Caroline Meade (1797–1872) was the second daughter of Richard Meade, 2nd Earl of Clanwilliam (1766–1805) and his wife, Countess Caroline (third daughter of Joseph Count of Thun-Hohenstein in Bohemia). Selina was courted by Lord Granville Leveson-Gower , but Lady Selina Caroline married the Austrian General and field Marshal Karl II. Johann Nepomuk Count Clam-Martinic (1792-1840) in 1821. Sir Thomas Lawrence painted this portrait of her in April 1819, when he was in Vienna painting portraits of allied leaders for the Prince of Wales, a series known as the Waterloo Portraits. Lawrence described her as "in beauty and interesting character, one of the most distinguished persons in Vienna". Lady Selina Caroline is painted half-length, body facing right with head turned in three-quarter profile, looking at viewer; wearing a white satin dress with lace-edged décolletage, long full gathered sleeves, and a thin sash under the bust, multiple-strand pearl necklace and pearl drop earrings, and her hair in a topknot with ringlets. She holds a posy in her left hand. In the background at lower right is the Stephansdom in Vienna. |
Date | April 1819 date QS:P571,+1819-04-00T00:00:00Z/10 |
Medium | oil on canvas medium QS:P186,Q296955;P186,Q12321255,P518,Q861259 |
Dimensions | height: 76 cm (29.9 in); width: 62 cm (24.4 in) dimensions QS:P2048,76U174728 dimensions QS:P2049,62U174728 |
Collection | |
Exhibition history | Royal Academy summer exhibition, Somerset House, 1820 , cat. no. 140, as Lady Selina Meade Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power and Brilliance, National Portrait Gallery, 21 October 2010–23 January 2011 - featured on the audio page Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power and Brilliance, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, 24 February 2011–5 June 2011 |
Notes | Lawrence's sketch for the portrait, signed with initials and dated 'TL/April/1819/Vienna', in pencil, black and red chalk, was sold by Christie's in 1992 for £16,500. The portrait itself, was sold by Christie's in late 2018 for over £2.2 million punds. |
References | Engraved by Charles Heath in 1828 (Garlick, 1955). NPG lists two engravings by Heath and two by George Thomas Doo dated 1835. Reproduced in Kenneth's Garlick's catalogues of 1955 (plate 85) and 1989. |
Source/Photographer | Reproduction of a painting that is in the public domain because of its age. |