Miss Murray (Louisa Georgina Augusta Anne Murray)
Reproduction print of a painting, likely a color lithograph or photogravure titled on paper or board • After Sir Thomas Lawrence (Original artist); unknown commercial printmaker
Style & Movement
Regency / Late Neoclassicism
Medium & Technique
Mechanical print reproduction. Original was oil on canvas. The surface shows a texture consistent with early 20th-century print processes, lacking the impasto or brushwork of an original oil painting.
Creation Period
Late 19th to early 20th century (reproduction of an 1825 original)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 20 x 24 inches for the frame; vertical portrait format
Subject Description
A portrait of a young girl, Louisa Murray, shown in a dancing pose holding her skirt which is filled with flowers. She wears a white high-waisted dress with a pink sash and a flower-adorned bonnet. The composition is set against a dark, atmospheric landscape background.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Fair to Poor. The print surface appears faded with potential surface grime. The frame is in significant disrepair.
Estimated Market Value
$20 - $50
Auction Estimate
$10 - $30 (Reserve usually not met)
Provenance History
Unknown. Common decorative print likely sold through furniture stores or department stores in the early 1900s.
Art Historical Significance
Low. As a mass-produced reproduction, its value is purely decorative. The original painting by Lawrence sits in the Kenwood House, London, and was one of his most popular child portraits.
Notable Features
Features a heavy, period-style wood frame with significant losses to the white gesso/plaster ornamentation, which gives it a distressed 'shabby chic' appearance.
Condition Issues
The frame shows severe loss of gesso and decorative moulding, exposing the underlying wood. The print itself shows significant color desaturation (yellowing/fading) and potential moisture damage.
Conservation Recommendations
Given the low value, professional conservation is not financially viable. The frame requires significant stabilization and restoration of the composite ornaments. The print should be kept out of direct sunlight.