Portrait of Mary Amelia ‘Emily Mary’, Marchioness of Salisbury, née Hill (1750-1835), full-length, with a spaniel tugging at her dress, in a landscape

The sitter was the eldest daughter of Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire and his first wife, Lady Margaretta FitzGerald. She was at the heart of the political life of her time, as a canvasser and hostess for the Tory party and a loyal supporter of the monarchy. Emily was also known for her sartorial choices, often wearing clothes of her own design whilst undertaking her other passions, such as horse-riding and archery.

This composition derives from a full-size painting at Hatfield House, painted by Reynolds in 1780-1 and later altered in 1787-9 to bring the hair and costume up to date (D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London, I, p. 127, no. 339). George Healy was an American painter, who worked and travelled throughout Europe. An accomplished portraitist, he was evidently also employed as a copyist, completing paintings after other works at Hatfield, including the 'Rainbow Portrait' of Queen Elizabeth I.