Mrs Williams
- Artist: John Hoppner
- Date: c.1790
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 756 x 629 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is “Mrs Williams” by John Hoppner, painted around 1790. The sitter, thought to be the wife of a Captain Williams, looks young—perhaps before she married. Hoppner, a master colourist, gives her rosy cheeks and a blue‑trimmed bonnet that pops against the muted background. The canvas measures roughly 76 by 63 cm.
Hoppner first showed his work at the Royal Academy in 1780. Though he began as a landscape painter, he switched to portraiture, a decision that brought steady commissions from aristocrats and even members of the royal family. The portrait was bequeathed to the collection by O.S. Ashcroft in 1945 and is now hanging in the 1760–1815 room.
You’ll notice the fine details—a ribbon, a gloved hand, the feathered brim of the hat—all rendered with a delicate touch. Even though we know little about the woman herself, the painting captures a moment of genteel grace and gives us a glimpse into late‑eighteenth‑century portrait conventions.
See it in person
Mrs Williams is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
