Skip to main content

Diana (Sackville), Viscountess Crosbie

Maker (British, 1723-1792)
ClassificationsPAINTINGS
Date1777
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensions94 3/4 x 58 in. (240.7 x 147.3 cm.)
DescriptionStanding to left, full-length, full-face, advancing towards the right front. Her left arm extended across the sky, her right foot forward, her right hand holding the folds of her skirt on her thigh. Brown hair, dressed high, with pearls and a fawn ribbon; pale-fawn dress with gold hemming, gold silk sash, and pale-fawn slipper. Two trees reach the top of the canvas on extreme left; sky background; low, hilly horizon, with a hillock and trees in middle distance, immediately below Lady Crosbie's left hand Diana (1756-1814), daughter of George, 1st Viscount Sackville; married John, Viscount Crosbie (2nd Earl of Glandore), 1777.
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Label TextDiana Sackville’s mirthful expression, windswept tendrils, and spontaneous sense of motion convey an air of charming informality. Her casual elegance reflects a general trend toward naturalism that arose in the late 1700s, largely as a result of a relaxation of decorum in high society and the fashionable negligence popularized by Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, whose portrait hangs nearby. This painting was commissioned by Diana Sackville’s fiancé, John Crosbie, 2nd Viscount Crosbie, who, at 24, likely valued the chic emphasis on vitality and informality in this portrait of his future wife.
Status
On view
Object number23.13

There are no works to discover for this record.