Caroline Acton (1738-1761)
Dating
Circa 1758
Material / Technique
Oil on canvas
Object Number
2006.008
Display Status
On display
Description
Caroline Acton (née Wearg) married Nathaniel Acton (see 2006.007) in 1753, bearing him six children in quick succession before dying in 1761, aged 30. The bottom edge of the painting, once protected by a frame rebate, reveals that her silk dress was once a vibrant fuchsia pink. The light sensitive pigment used, carmine red, has faded considerably.
Credit Line
Accepted by HM Government in Lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to Gainsborough's House, 2006.