The artwork titled “Margaret Messenger (b.1737), Mrs Walter Strickland” was created by the artist George Romney in the year 1760. This piece, executed using oil on canvas, belongs to the Rococo art movement and falls under the genre of portraiture.
This portrait depicts a young woman seated gracefully, exuding an aura of refinement and elegance characteristic of the Rococo style. She is dressed in an opulent blue gown with white lace trimmings, adorned with a pink bow at her neckline, and accented with fine pearls. Her serene expression is complemented by the delicate flower in her hair. In her right hand, she holds a shepherd’s crook, suggestive of pastoral themes commonly explored in Rococo art. The background reveals a tranquil landscape with a soft, luminous sky transitioning from dusk to dawn, incorporating natural elements that enhance the idyllic atmosphere. The artist’s meticulous attention to fabric texture and the subtleties of light reflects the sophistication of his technique and the elegance of 18th-century portraiture.