This confidently rendered portrait of Mrs. Jane Madan, signed and dated 1746, was painted by Allan Ramsay in London during an extremely successful period of his early career. By this time, he had established his reputation as a sophisticated and elegant portraitist who was able to expertly capture the likeness of his sitters, drawing on his early studies in Italy with some of the most fashionable Italian portrait painters of the era, Francesco Imperiali and Pompeo Batoni. Here, Mrs. Madan is shown in what was known as "Van Dyck" costume, a fashion that was popular among high-born women during the 1730s and 1740s, particularly at masquerades in places such as Ranelagh Gardens. Inspiration for this attire arose from the popular portrait by Rubens of Suzanne Fourment. The sitter of this portrait, Mrs. Jane Madan, was one of the three daughters of the distinguished judge, Sir Bernard Hale, Kt of King Walden, Hertfordshire, and his wife, Anne Thoresby. In 1751, she married the Rev. Martin Madan, a scholar, lawyer, and prominent clergyman, who became chaplain to the Lock Hospital near Hyde Park Corner and who in 1780 published a controversial book advocating for polygamy, titled Theylyphthorn. Together, Jane and her husband had five children.
Portrait of Jane Hale (Mrs. Jane Madan) by Allan Ramsay (Scottish) - Oil on canvas / 1746 - University of California, Berkeley Art Museum #womeninart #allanramsay #scottishartist #portraitofawoman #fineart #painting #art #artwork #alttext #berkeleyartmuseum #ramsay #scottishart #fineart #womensart
