Mary Gay (c.1780–1853) (the future Mrs Girdlestone)

Mary Gay, painted by Opie in 1799 as a young woman of approximately nineteen, was later known as Mrs Girdlestone. This portrait belongs to a well-established tradition of female portraits made at a significant life moment — probably around the time of her reaching social maturity or in connection with marriage preparation. Opie's 1799 female portraits, held in the Norfolk Museums Collections, document his connection to East Anglian society — the same regional network that included his father-in-law James Alderson and his wife Amelia Alderson. The Norfolk Museums Collections hold several Opie works, reflecting the painter's ties to the region through his marriage into the Norwich-based Alderson family. The identification of the sitter's later married name as 'the future Mrs Girdlestone' suggests this is a retrospective cataloguing note added to a portrait that was originally simply a likeness of a young woman.

Female portraits by Opie from the late 1790s show his mature technique applied to subjects where his Rembrandtesque boldness softens somewhat in deference to conventions of feminine portraiture. The face is modelled with careful attention to delicacy while retaining the sculptural quality of his best work. Dress and accessories are rendered with attention to fashionable detail.