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Pamela fainting
(1743-1744)
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Measurements
- 63.5 × 76.2 cm
- Accession Number
- 1114-3
- Department
- International Painting
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1921
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited - Gallery location
- 17th to 18th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International - About this work
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In 1743–44 Joseph Highmore created twelve paintings based on Samuel Richardson’s popular novel Pamela (1740–41). These paintings are now divided equally between the Tate Gallery, London, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and the National Gallery of Victoria. Pamela tells the story of a maidservant, Pamela Andrews, who resisted the lustful attempts of her young master, Squire B., to seduce her (as seen here). She eventually converts him to goodness, and her virtue is rewarded by a marriage above her status.
- Subjects (general)
- Human Figures Literary and Text Relationships and Interactions
- Subjects (specific)
- bedrooms bonnets (hats) fainting literary characters maids (servants) seductions social classes virtue
- Movements
- Rococo
- Frame
- Original, surface not original
Frame
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Joseph Highmore painted twelve scenes from Samuel Richards novel Pamela (1740-41) of which four are in the collection of the NGV.
The paintings date to 1743-44. The four paintings are housed in nearly identical frames.
The frame on this painting, Pamela fainting is slightly at variance with the other three, either through restoration or being a later reproduction to fit the group.The painting was cleaned in 2002.
- Framemaker
- Unknown - 18th century