Hoppner R.A., John (1758 – 1810) – Portrait of a Woman Seated Under a Tree.

This spectacular drawing is stylistically typical of the portrait drawings Hoppner made in red and black chalks in the 1780s. It is unusual, however, that the sitter is shown full-length and that the background has been so well developed. The drawing of the trees can be related to landscape drawings by Hoppner in the British Museum and the figure to works such as the portrait of his wife Phoebe, also in the British Museum. Phoebe Hoppner often sat as a model for her husband. Unknown sitters are sometimes erroneously identified as her. But given this person's similarity to Phoebe and the scale, complexity and tenderness of the work, it is reasonable to speculate that it is her.