Mid-19th-Century Portrait Of Amelia Jenkins

Mid-19th-Century Portrait Of Amelia Jenkins

A beautiful mid-19th-century portrait of Amelia Jenkins - later Martin then Savile (1819-1875). The brushwork and details are sublime with careful attention to the dress with its ornate bows and embellishments.

Amelia Jenkins was a fascinating lady and probably best known as the wife of Henry Savile - the second son of the eighth Earl of Scarborough. Savile inherited the Rufford estate when his father died in 1856 and was clearly a man of means. A census entry for Rufford in 1861 refers to 16 servants including coachmen, grooms and gardeners. Amelia also appeared in this census but didn’t marry Savile until 1874, following the death of her first husband, Francis Mountjoy Martin.

Amelia's greatest drama arrived in 1847 when she narrowly escaped death during a railway accident. It’s recorded that part of a railway tyre from another train smashed through the side of her compartment and landed on her hip at high speed. Undoubtedly this left her a little traumatised.

The paper is housed within a fine period frame.

Medium: Watercolour on paper
Overall size: 25” x 32” / 63cm x 82cm
Year of creation: c. 1850
Provenance: England
Condition: A few marks on the glass. Frame with some age-related wear.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

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