Henry Edridge found fame after Sir Joshua Reynolds liked his paintings so much that he started to buy them himself! He allowed the young Henry Edridge to paint copies of his own paintings and this is Henry Edridge's version of the original oil by Reynolds which is found at the Hunterian Gallery in Scotland.
Nelly O'Brien was one of Reynold's favourite models (rumours of being his mistress) and one of the most glamourous ladies of her day.
This watercolour is signed verso but has been confirmed as an original Edridge by Claudia Hill of Ellison Fine Art (Claudia spent 20 years at Christies and Bonhams prior to running her own business). THere is also confirmation on file that Claudia had the painting tested at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, who confirmed its originality as a pure watercolour of the time and not a coloured print. It is a fascinating piece of history linking together some of the A listers of the 18th Century.
The watercolour work was described by Christies as being 'extremely fine in detail and application' and it is a rare find!
.jpg)
