John Jennings Esq., his Brother and Sister-in-Law

Roslin painted the English merchant John Jennings with his brother and sister-in-law in 1769. Roslin, a Swedish portraitist based in Paris, was celebrated for his virtuosic rendering of fabrics, particularly silk. This family group demonstrates his mastery of the conversation piece. Roslin, a Swedish painter who settled in Paris and became a member of the Academie royale in 1753, was celebrated above all for his ability to render silk, satin, and lace with material immediacy that made him the...

Roslin's legendary skill with textiles shows in the shimmering silk dress, rendered with extraordinary precision. The elegant composition reflects his cosmopolitan Franco-Swedish style.