Frances Abington (née Barton) as Miss Prue in William Congreve’s “Love for Love”

One of Joshua Reynolds’s masterpieces, this candid portrait shows the actress Mrs. Abington in the role of Miss Prue, a character in William Congreve’s play Love for Love (1695). Frances Abington was one of the most admired actresses of her day and a star performer in David Garrick’s company at the Drury Lane Theater. She performed as the young ingenue Miss Prue to acclaim in 1769 and 1770, and this portrait was probably painted soon after. Until very recently it was believed Reynolds exhibited the portrait in the Royal Academy exhibition of 1771, but new research has shown that it was another, very different, picture of Mrs. Abington that was seen by the public. Instead, this portrait was a private picture made either for the actress herself or for one of her many admirers, perhaps explaining the provocative pose and suggestive touch of the lips, which would have been considered improper if exhibited publicly.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016