Pinkie (Sarah Barrett Moulton)
Painting on canvas • Sir Thomas Lawrence
Style & Movement
Grand Manner (Late 18th-century British Portraiture)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, utilizing fluid brushwork and light glazing to achieve atmospheric effects in the sky and delicate textures in the fabric
Creation Period
1794
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 148 cm × 102.2 cm (58.3 in × 40.2 in), Portrait vertical format
Subject Description
A portrait of Sarah Barrett Moulton, age eleven, just before she left Jamaica for school in England. The subject is depicted in a white muslin dress with a pink silk sash and a matching pink bonnet with ribbons caught in the wind. She stands against a turbulent, low-horizon sky which emphasizes her youthful stature and ethereal presence.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good (Digital reproduction shown). Original in Huntington Library has undergone professional conservation.
Estimated Market Value
$30,000,000 - $50,000,000 (Based on historical significance and status as a national treasure)
Auction Estimate
$25,000,000 - $45,000,000
Provenance History
Commissioned by the subject\'s grandmother; passed through the Moulton-Barrett family; sold at Christie\'s London in 1926 to Lord Duveen; subsequently purchased by Henry E. Huntington in 1927.
Art Historical Significance
A masterpiece of British portraiture, it is frequently paired with Gainsborough\'s 'The Blue Boy' as a pinnacle of the genre. It marks the transition toward Romanticism and represents the peak of Lawrence's child portraiture.
Notable Features
The low horizon line gives the young subject a monumental quality while the fluttering pink ribbons suggest motion and the fleeting nature of childhood innocence.
Condition Issues
Common issues for this age include craquelure, minor paint thinning in darker glazes, and necessity of periodic varnish removal (though the original is well-maintained).
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain stable humidity (45-55%), temperature-controlled environment, and UV-filtered lighting to prevent pigment fading and support stress.