Portrait of Mrs. John Graham

Tilly Kettle completed several commissions for the Graham family, including this three-quarter-length portrait of Mary Graham. Done after her husband's death, the picture shows Mrs. Graham dressed in a silk gown with ermine detailing and pearl jewelry. Even though the family spent some time in India, the subject is pictured against a generic backdrop that includes a Neoclassical-style column surrounded by foliage and a stormy sky. This style of portraiture was very fashionable in England at the time, where Mary Graham and her children settled after her husband's passing.