Lady Elizabeth Keppel

Edward Fisher after Sir Joshua Reynolds

Lady Elizabeth Keppel

London, E Fisher, 1761

Mezzotint

585 x 365 mm

£380

A large, famous portait of Elizabeth Keppel. She is standing whole-length to right decorating statue of Hymen with floral wreaths, head turned to left to face black female attendant passing her the garlands; wearing the embroidered satin dress in which she appeared as bridesmaid to Queen Charlotte.

Born 1739, daughter of  the 2^nd. Earl of Albemarle , she was one of Queen Charlotte’s bridesmaids, in which character Reynolds has painted her here. She married June 7^th. 1764, Francis, Marquis of Tavistock, whose accidental death, in March 1767, she survived only until the following year , 2^nd November 1768. Her elder sons were the 5^th and 6^th. Dukes of Bedford. Her youngest son , born after his father’s death, was murdered by Couvoisier in 1840