A Lady wearing a white dress

Northcote's portrait of a lady wearing a white dress, painted in 1795, represents the Devon-born artist during his prosperous years as a London portrait painter. Northcote's female portraits typically adopt the graceful, informal manner established by his master Reynolds, though with a slightly stiffer and more provincial touch. The white dress reflects the fashion for simple, Neoclassical clothing that swept through English society following the French Revolution.

Northcote's oil-on-canvas technique handles the white dress with careful attention to the subtle tonal variations that distinguish fabric folds in a monochromatic garment. The face is painted with more precision than the broadly handled costume and background.