"Pamela, Plate 1" (no title)

Samuel Richardson's highly successful epistolatory novel Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded was one of the most influential works of English literature of the 18th century. Written in the form of letters and journal entries through the eyes of Pamela Andrews, a 15-year-old domestic servant, as she as she rejects the repeated failed seductions and attempted kidnappings by her wealthy employer, Mr. B. It's also a work of conduct literature about marriage, morality, and social class. It's heroine, Pamela navigates her low position in society and her religious training to remain "virtuous" against all odds. Between 1744 and 1745, the painter Joseph Highmore published advertisements seeking subscribers to support the publication of engravings based on his twelve paintings representing scenes from the novel. The prints were published with inscriptions in English and French to appeal to a wide audience.

The first scene Pamela is writing a letter in the dressing room or her recently deceased employer Lady B, whose son has just inherited her estate. Mr. B, who walks in on her, begins to make romantic advances at Pamela.

Learn more at the link below.