Artwork Page for Cropley Ashley-Cooper (Later 6th Earl of Shaftesbury) with His Sister Mary Anne Ashley-Cooper, Later Lady Sturt of Crichel

Details / Information for Cropley Ashley-Cooper (Later 6th Earl of Shaftesbury) with His Sister Mary Anne Ashley-Cooper, Later Lady Sturt of Crichel

Cropley Ashley-Cooper (Later 6th Earl of Shaftesbury) with His Sister Mary Anne Ashley-Cooper, Later Lady Sturt of Crichel

c. 1776

Daniel Gardner

(British, c. 1750–1805)
Culture
England, 18th century
Medium
pastel with black and red chalk and graphite
Support
White laid paper
Measurements
Sheet: 50.7 x 40.2 cm (19 15/16 x 15 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2011.193
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

This pastel was presumably commissioned from Daniel Gardner by the children's father, who was himself the subject of a portrait by the artist.

Description

Daniel Gardner built a lucrative career that was based on fashionable portraiture, especially small-scale works in pastel, often in oval formats with landscape backgrounds. Executed in this format, this portrait is one of many by the artist that depicted children, his primary subjects. Here, the young Cropley Ashley-Cooper, later the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury, gazes fondly at his older sister, Mary Anne, who holds his hand and encircles his shoulders in close affection. Gardner took advantage of the special optical properties of pastel, whose minute, irregular particles reflect light diffusely, allowing an unparalleled velvety brilliance.
An oval pastel and chalk drawing depicts two children with light skin tones and a small dog. Mary Anne wears a white dress and looks toward us. Cropley faces her in a blue suit, resting one hand on her shoulder and the other on a brown and white dog looking up at him. He has short brown hair, while Mary Anne wears a blue headband. Muted trees fill the background on the far right.

Cropley Ashley-Cooper (Later 6th Earl of Shaftesbury) with His Sister Mary Anne Ashley-Cooper, Later Lady Sturt of Crichel

c. 1776

Daniel Gardner

(British, c. 1750–1805)
England, 18th century

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