Miss Elizabeth Ingram

This work is very much a typical portrait of the day. The sitter is placed within a vaguely classical setting, the column to the left recalling the architectural, and by association, intellectual and moral authority of ancient Greece or Rome. Reynolds' handling of paint, especially in the dress, is however, exceptional and elevates the work above the average.

What also makes this painting interesting today is the manner in which it has aged. When painted, Miss Ingram would have had a healthy complexion. The use of unstable pink pigments has resulted in her rather alarmingly pale state. This is a common occurrence in many of Reynolds's portraits.