Annetta Coke

1758

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Associated Names
Sir Joshua Reynolds

Painter, British, 1723 - 1792

This painting depicts a seated woman looking off to the left, resting her head on her right hand, our left, with her elbow on an abstract green surface. She has a fair complexion, a long nose, pale eyebrows, pale lips in a neutral expression, and reddish-brown hair styled up with a blue clip. She is wearing a pale mauve dress and shawl with a deep neckline, blue-green ribbon details, and puffed sleeves. A thin black belt is tied around her waist and there is a silver bracelet on her forearm. The background is painted in soft shades of blue and green, with a few highlights of pale yellow. An inscription in gold lettering in the top left corner identifies her as "Annetta D. of Edward Coke, wife of Lewis Cage of Milgate Kent."

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The sitter, Annetta Coke [1738-1791, later Mrs. Lewis Cage], Milgate, Kent, England.[1] by descent to her son, the Reverend Charles Cage [1769-1849].[2] (Stafford Gallery, London).[3] (Dowdeswell and Dowdeswell, London); purchased 1903 by William Andrews Clark [1839-1925], New York; bequest April 1926 to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art.
[1] The painting was probably commissioned in celebration of the sitter's marriage to Lewis Cage [d. 1800] on 17 January 1759.
[2] According to Lorna Scott, the great-great-great-great granddaughter of the sitter, Charles Cage bequeathed the portrait to the owner of Milgate House. See correspondence dated 9 and 10 July 2003, between Scott and Corcoran curator Laura Coyle in NGA curatorial files.
[3] See letter from Sir Ellis Waterhouse to Edward J. Nygren, Corcoran curator, dated 28 September 1977, in NGA curatorial files.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1978

  • The William A. Clark Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, 26 April - 16 July 1978.

2001

  • Antiquities to Impressionism: The William A. Clark Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, 3 November 2001 - 4 February 2002, unnumbered catalogue, repro.

Bibliography

1966

  • Martin, David F. "Naming Paintings." Art Journal 25, no. 3 (Spring 1966): 252-256.

2000

  • Mannings, David. Sir Joshua Reynolds: A Complete Catalogue of His Paintings. 2 vols. New Haven and London, 2000: 138, no. 385.

Inscriptions

upper left, possibly from the 19th century: ANNETTA. D. OF / EDWARD COKE, / WIFE OF LEWIS CAGE / OF MILGATE, KENT; lower left reverse: J. R. 1758

Wikidata ID

Q46625383

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