Miss Penelope Boothby

Thomas Park 1760 - 1835

Summary

Portrait of a young child seated on a bench. The subject is facing the viewer and is wearing a white dress with a dark sash at the waist. She has a tall mob cap on her head and her hands are held on her lap. A park landscape can be seen in the background. Penelope Boothby (1785-1791) was the only child of Sir Brooke and Dame Susan Boothby. She was 3 years old when she was painted by Reynolds. She died in 1791 aged only 5 years old. Her parents separated at her funeral and her father spent his life travelling.